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The integration of patient care and clinical research has been a hallmark of the Department of Psychiatry for more than 30 years.
Over the years, there has been an enormous expansion in the overall volume of research in the department and associated research funding—with more than $50 million in research programs last year alone—as well as a gradual shift in funding from pharmaceutical sponsorship to federal and foundation funding. The department has cultivated highly productive clinical and research programs focused on each of the major domains of mental health and psychopathology:
Each program is staffed by expert clinical researchers and clinicians working together to care for patients and conduct cutting-edge clinical research. In addition, our neuroscience, neuroimaging and genetic research programs include clinical and translational researchers whose work is informed and motivated by the unmet needs of our patient populations.
This research is making it possible to pinpoint affected areas of the brain; understand inherited risk factors and the role of environmental stress; develop more effective psychotherapies, medications and neurotherapeutic treatments; and ultimately to prevent these illnesses from occurring by intervening early.
Our neuroscience, neuroimaging and genetic research programs include clinical and translational researchers whose work is informed and motivated by the unmet needs of our patient populations. Our programs include:
The model of integrating clinical work and research is evident even in the names of the department’s major programs, such as the “Depression Clinical and Research Program,” the “Bipolar Clinic and Research Program,” and the “Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Clinic and Research Unit.” Our programs include:
Clinical researchers in our department have had leadership roles in landmark national studies of the course, genetics and treatment of major psychiatric disorders. This includes a series of federally funded treatment studies begun in the late 1990s and a wide variety of other national programs.
The breadth and depth of our psychiatric research continues to grow despite the challenges of an uncertain funding environment. From its roots as a department known for its contributions in consultation-liaison psychiatry and psychopharmacology with little external funding, the Department of Psychiatry now has 60 active research programs and laboratories. In particular, the department has established highly productive research programs in three cross-cutting domains:
U.S. News & World Report ranks Mass General psychiatry top among U.S. hospitals.
Advances in Motion highlights the latest breakthroughs, research and clinical trials from Mass General.
We provide care for patients of any age throughout the lifespan.
For 80 years, Mass General's Psychiatry Department has provided the highest quality patient care through pioneering research.
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the delivery of mental health care. In addition, there is increasing evidence of a sudden need for mental and behavioral health care. As a result, there has been a quick expansion of telemental health.
An early resiliency intervention program achieved measurable reductions in depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress among individuals with acute neurologic illness who had been hospitalized in the intensive care unit, and their caregivers.
Twenty years of research has shown that family dinners are good for the body, the brain and the mental health of kids and their parents. Anne Fishel, PhD, of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at MGHfC, shares how to make the most of family dinners.
Daphne J. Holt, MD, PhD, teaches coping skills to help with the overwhelming stress on us during the COVID-19 pandemic and discusses how learning resiliency through online training can help us all with our mental health during this stressful time.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about universal uncertainty and has been the source of new anxiety and tension for many people. Many report a significant decline in the amount and quality of sleep—the result of poor sleep hygiene, or the habits that help you cultivate a good night’s sleep.
Celebrating gives people the energy to press on during difficult times, said Joseph Betancourt, MD, vice president and chief equity and inclusion officer, in his introduction to the “Celebration of Unity, Heritage and Mass General Latino/a/x Front Line Staff” event.
To find out more about our research, clinical services, schedule an appointment or refer a patient, contact the Department of Psychiatry.
