Observational and questionnaire based Studies in Psychiatry
This collection of questionnaire-based psychiatry thesis topics is designed for MD Psychiatry and DNB Psychiatry candidates who want non-interventional research questions that can be completed within one thesis period using validated questionnaires, routine clinical assessment and data already available in outpatient, inpatient, de-addiction, child psychiatry, consultation-liaison and geriatric services. The topics cover depression, anxiety, stress, substance use, severe mental illness, adherence, caregiver burden, child and adolescent psychiatry, sleep, stigma, quality of life and mental health literacy. Each topic can be developed into a focused questionnaire-based psychiatry research topic, a structured psychiatry protocol for questionnaire studies or a submission-ready psychiatry synopsis for non-interventional research.
Last reviewed and updated: September 2026 · 2026–27 admissions
Depression, Anxiety and Stress-Related Disorders
Association of perceived stress measured by the Perceived Stress Scale with depressive symptom severity measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire nine-item depression scale among adults with major depressive disorder: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of sleep quality measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index with anxiety severity measured by the Generalised Anxiety Disorder seven-item scale among adults with generalised anxiety disorder: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of perceived social support measured by the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support with depressive symptoms among adults with major depressive disorder at first outpatient assessment: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of adverse childhood experiences measured by the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire with current depressive symptom severity among adults with recurrent major depressive disorder: a cross-sectional analytical study
Correlation of health anxiety measured by the Short Health Anxiety Inventory with healthcare utilisation during the preceding six months among adults with illness anxiety disorder: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of insomnia severity measured by the Insomnia Severity Index with functional impairment measured by the Sheehan Disability Scale among adults with major depressive disorder: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of perceived stigma measured by the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale with treatment-seeking delay among adults newly diagnosed with depressive or anxiety disorders: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of family functioning measured by the Family Assessment Device with anxiety severity measured by the Generalised Anxiety Disorder seven-item scale among adults with generalised anxiety disorder: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of loneliness measured by the University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale with depressive symptom severity among adults aged sixty years and older with major depressive disorder: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of rumination measured by the Ruminative Responses Scale with depressive symptom severity among adults meeting diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of intolerance of uncertainty measured by the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale with worry severity among adults meeting diagnostic criteria for generalised anxiety disorder: a cross-sectional analytical study
Correlation of anxiety sensitivity measured by the Anxiety Sensitivity Index with panic severity measured by the Panic Disorder Severity Scale among adults with panic disorder: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of fear of negative evaluation measured by the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale with social anxiety severity among young adults with social anxiety disorder: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of post-traumatic stress symptoms measured by the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition with functional impairment among adult trauma survivors: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of perceived stress measured by the Perceived Stress Scale with somatic symptom burden measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire fifteen-item scale among adults with bodily distress disorder: a cross-sectional analytical study
Comparison of depressive symptom severity measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire nine-item depression scale between adults with chronic pain and adults without chronic pain attending general medicine services: a comparative cross-sectional study
Association of quality of life measured by the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version with anxiety severity among adults with panic disorder attending psychiatry outpatient services: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of resilience measured by the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale with depressive symptoms among adults with adjustment disorder following major psychosocial stress: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of perceived social support measured by the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support with post-traumatic stress symptom severity among adults following road traffic accidents: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of self-esteem measured by the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale with depressive symptom severity among young adults with major depressive disorder attending a teaching hospital: a cross-sectional analytical study
Substance Use and Behavioural Addictions
Association of alcohol use severity measured by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test with depressive symptoms measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire nine-item depression scale among adults with alcohol use disorder: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of nicotine dependence measured by the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence with perceived stress among adults using smoked tobacco and attending a de-addiction clinic: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of smokeless tobacco dependence measured by the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence-Smokeless Tobacco with depressive symptoms among adults using smokeless tobacco: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of craving measured by the Penn Alcohol Craving Scale with alcohol use severity among adults receiving outpatient treatment for alcohol use disorder: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of readiness to change measured by the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment Scale with alcohol use severity among adults with alcohol use disorder: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of family functioning measured by the Family Assessment Device with treatment motivation among adults receiving care for alcohol use disorder: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of perceived stigma measured by the Substance Abuse Self-Stigma Scale with treatment-seeking delay among adults with alcohol or opioid use disorder: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of quality of life measured by the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version with alcohol dependence severity among adults attending a government de-addiction service: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of sleep quality measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index with craving measured by the Penn Alcohol Craving Scale among adults with alcohol use disorder: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of depressive symptoms measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire nine-item depression scale with nicotine dependence severity among adults receiving treatment for tobacco dependence: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of anxiety symptoms measured by the Generalised Anxiety Disorder seven-item scale with cannabis use severity measured by the Cannabis Use Disorders Identification Test-Revised among young adults: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of perceived peer pressure measured by a structured peer influence questionnaire with cannabis use severity among college-age young adults meeting diagnostic criteria for cannabis use disorder: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of impulsivity measured by the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale with polysubstance use severity among adults attending a de-addiction outpatient department: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of adverse childhood experiences measured by the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire with age at initiation of regular substance use among adults with substance use disorders: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of family burden measured by the Family Burden Interview Schedule with alcohol dependence severity among primary caregivers of adults with alcohol use disorder: a caregiver-patient cross-sectional analytical study
Association of treatment motivation measured by the Treatment Motivation Questionnaire with previous quit attempts among adults receiving routine treatment for tobacco dependence: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of problematic smartphone use measured by the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version with alcohol use severity among college students reporting current alcohol use: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of internet gaming severity measured by the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form with depressive symptoms among adolescents presenting with problematic gaming behaviour: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of gambling-related symptoms measured by the Problem Gambling Severity Index with depressive symptoms among adults reporting recurrent gambling behaviour: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of craving measured by the Opioid Craving Scale with perceived stress among adults receiving routine treatment for opioid use disorder: a cross-sectional analytical study
Severe Mental Illness, Adherence and Caregiver Studies
Association of medication adherence measured by the Medication Adherence Rating Scale with illness insight measured by the Schedule for Assessment of Insight among adults with schizophrenia: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of internalized stigma measured by the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale with quality of life among adults with schizophrenia receiving maintenance treatment: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of caregiver burden measured by the Burden Assessment Schedule with patient disability measured by the Indian Disability Evaluation and Assessment Scale among adults with schizophrenia: a caregiver-patient cross-sectional analytical study
Association of expressed emotion measured by the Family Questionnaire with medication adherence among adults with schizophrenia living with family caregivers: a caregiver-patient cross-sectional analytical study
Association of quality of life measured by the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version with negative symptom severity among clinically stable adults with schizophrenia: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of perceived social support measured by the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support with medication adherence among adults receiving maintenance treatment for schizophrenia: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of internalized stigma measured by the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale with employment status among clinically stable adults with schizophrenia: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of caregiver burden measured by the Family Burden Interview Schedule with number of previous hospital admissions among adults with schizophrenia: a caregiver-patient cross-sectional analytical study
Association of caregiver distress measured by the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales with patient behavioural disturbance among adults with schizophrenia: a caregiver-patient cross-sectional analytical study
Association of treatment satisfaction measured by the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire with medication adherence among adults receiving maintenance treatment for schizophrenia: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of medication adherence measured by the Medication Adherence Rating Scale with perceived medication adverse effects among adults receiving long-term antipsychotic treatment: a cross-sectional analytical study
Comparison of internalized stigma measured by the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale between adults with schizophrenia and adults with bipolar disorder in remission: a comparative cross-sectional study
Comparison of caregiver burden measured by the Burden Assessment Schedule between caregivers of adults with schizophrenia and caregivers of adults with bipolar disorder: a comparative cross-sectional study
Association of perceived social support measured by the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support with quality of life among adults with bipolar disorder in remission: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of medication adherence measured by the Medication Adherence Rating Scale with perceived stigma among adults receiving maintenance treatment for bipolar disorder: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of caregiver burden measured by the Family Burden Interview Schedule with functional disability among adults receiving maintenance treatment for bipolar disorder: a caregiver-patient cross-sectional analytical study
Association of sleep quality measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index with quality of life among adults with bipolar disorder currently in remission: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of perceived stress measured by the Perceived Stress Scale with medication adherence among adults receiving maintenance treatment for bipolar disorder: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of family functioning measured by the Family Assessment Device with quality of life among clinically stable adults with schizophrenia living with relatives: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of caregiver coping measured by the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory with caregiver burden among families of adults with severe mental illness: a caregiver cross-sectional analytical study
Child, Adolescent and Young Adult Psychiatry
Association of problematic smartphone use measured by the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version with depressive symptoms measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire nine-item depression scale among college students: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of social media use problems measured by the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale with anxiety symptoms among adolescents attending a child psychiatry clinic: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of internet gaming symptoms measured by the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form with school absenteeism among adolescents reporting problematic gaming behaviour: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of sleep quality measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index with depressive symptoms among adolescents with major depressive disorder attending child psychiatry services: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of examination stress measured by the Perceived Stress Scale with anxiety symptoms among school-going adolescents during the three months preceding major examinations: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of bullying victimization measured by the Olweus Bully-Victim Questionnaire with depressive symptoms among school-going adolescents referred for emotional or behavioural difficulties: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of cyberbullying exposure measured by the Cyberbullying and Online Aggression Survey with anxiety symptoms among adolescents attending child psychiatry services: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of self-esteem measured by the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale with depressive symptoms among adolescents presenting with school refusal: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of perceived social support measured by the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support with depressive symptoms among college students with adjustment disorder: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of parent-reported attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms measured by the Vanderbilt Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Diagnostic Parent Rating Scale with academic impairment among school-going children: a cross-sectional analytical study
Agreement between parent and teacher Vanderbilt Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Diagnostic Rating Scale reports among children meeting diagnostic criteria for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a cross-sectional agreement study
Association of sleep disturbance measured by the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire with parent-rated attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms among school-going children: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of parenting stress measured by the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptom severity among children attending child psychiatry services: a parent-child cross-sectional analytical study
Association of caregiver burden measured by the Caregiver Strain Questionnaire with autism-related behavioural difficulties among caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder: a caregiver cross-sectional analytical study
Association of sleep problems measured by the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire with daytime behavioural difficulties among children with autism spectrum disorder: a parent-child cross-sectional analytical study
Association of parental stress measured by the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form with school functioning among children with specific learning disorder: a parent-child cross-sectional analytical study
Association of examination anxiety measured by the Test Anxiety Inventory with school absenteeism among adolescents diagnosed with specific learning disorder: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of self-esteem measured by the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale with academic functioning among adolescents with specific learning disorder: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of perceived parental pressure measured by a structured academic expectations questionnaire with depressive symptoms among adolescents presenting with examination-related stress: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of resilience measured by the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale with adjustment difficulties among first-year college students living away from home: a cross-sectional analytical study
Consultation-Liaison, Older Adults, Sleep and Miscellaneous Psychiatry
Association of depressive symptoms measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire nine-item depression scale with medication adherence among adults with type two diabetes mellitus attending general medicine services: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of anxiety symptoms measured by the Generalised Anxiety Disorder seven-item scale with seizure-related quality of life among adults with epilepsy attending neurology outpatient services: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of depressive symptoms measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire nine-item depression scale with antitubercular treatment adherence among adults receiving treatment for tuberculosis: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of depressive symptoms measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire nine-item depression scale with antiretroviral treatment adherence among adults with human immunodeficiency virus infection: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of anxiety symptoms measured by the Generalised Anxiety Disorder seven-item scale with asthma control among adults receiving outpatient treatment for bronchial asthma: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of depressive symptoms measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire nine-item depression scale with pain-related disability among adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of body image concern measured by the Body Image Concern Inventory with depressive symptoms among adults with visible chronic dermatological disorders: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of perceived stigma measured by a validated tuberculosis stigma questionnaire with depressive symptoms among adults receiving antitubercular treatment: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of perceived stigma measured by a human immunodeficiency virus stigma scale with depressive symptoms among adults receiving antiretroviral treatment: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of caregiver burden measured by the Zarit Burden Interview with behavioural problems among caregivers of adults with major neurocognitive disorder: a caregiver-patient cross-sectional analytical study
Association of caregiver burden measured by the Zarit Burden Interview with dependence in activities of daily living among adults with major neurocognitive disorder: a caregiver-patient cross-sectional analytical study
Association of loneliness measured by the University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale with depressive symptoms measured by the Geriatric Depression Scale among community-dwelling older adults attending geriatric services: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of sleep quality measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index with depressive symptoms measured by the Geriatric Depression Scale among adults aged sixty years and older: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of fear of falling measured by the Falls Efficacy Scale-International with depressive symptoms among older adults reporting at least one fall during the preceding year: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of insomnia severity measured by the Insomnia Severity Index with quality of life among adults meeting diagnostic criteria for insomnia disorder: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of daytime sleepiness measured by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale with occupational functioning among adult shift workers reporting persistent sleep complaints: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of problematic smartphone use measured by the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version with insomnia severity among young adults attending psychiatry outpatient services: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of caregiver burden measured by the Zarit Burden Interview with sleep quality measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index among caregivers of adults with major neurocognitive disorder: a caregiver cross-sectional analytical study
Association of treatment satisfaction measured by the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire with follow-up adherence among adults receiving routine outpatient psychiatric care for common mental disorders: a cross-sectional analytical study
Association of mental health literacy measured by the Mental Health Literacy Scale with help-seeking attitudes measured by the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale among college students: a cross-sectional analytical study
Not the psychiatry subspeciality you need? Questionnaire-based non-interventional psychiatry is one section of our full psychiatry collection — the hub page lists every subspeciality, each with its own free topic list. Updated September 2026.
📌 Updated for 2026–2027 MD Psychiatry Questionnaire-Based Non-Interventional admissions
The page has been reviewed for realistic recruitment, validated measurement, manageable questionnaire burden and analyses suitable for cross-sectional non-interventional research.
Most projects require validated scales, routine diagnostic assessment and clearly defined demographic or clinical variables rather than specialised investigations or experimental interventions.
Research-only imaging, laboratory testing and treatment manipulation are not required; validity of the questionnaire version, language, scoring method and construct being measured are more important.
Publication potential is strongest when one primary exposure, one primary outcome and a limited set of clinically justified confounders are predefined before analysis.
Generate a protocol from any topic above
Select Generate Protocol → beside any title in the list above and receive a submission-ready document built around that topic, containing all eighteen components:
Introduction / Synopsis
Research Question
Aim of the Study
Primary Objective
Secondary Objectives
Materials and Methods
Inclusion Criteria
Exclusion Criteria
Sample Size Calculation
Methodology
Statistical Analysis
Ethical Considerations
Review of Literature
References
Gantt Chart / Study Timeline
Patient Information Sheet
Consent Form
Data Collection Form
Already have your thesis title?
Generate the full questionnaire-based non-interventional psychiatry protocol directly — objectives, methodology, sample size, statistics, timeline, references and annexures.
Alongside questionnaire-based non-interventional psychiatry protocols and synopses, support is also available for departmental presentations, journal club presentations, ethics committee presentations, and posters and oral presentations for medical conferences — for postgraduate residents, board trainees and research scholars across India and the GCC. Prepared by a practising doctor with long experience in medical publishing and thesis supervision.
Questionnaire-based non-interventional psychiatry research outside India
The topics above work as research questions anywhere — what changes is the document the institution expects, and who approves it before data collection begins. The Gulf equivalent of an Indian synopsis is the questionnaire-based non-interventional psychiatry research proposal submitted to an institutional review board, and it ordinarily carries three sections an Indian synopsis does not: a Gantt chart, a budget and resources section, and a Declaration of Helsinki statement.
Board and residency programmes — country by country
Saudi Arabia — SCFHS and the Saudi Board. Residency and fellowship training under the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties includes a research project with a set timeline, and the questionnaire-based non-interventional psychiatry research proposal is the document prepared at the outset and cleared by the institutional review board before recruitment starts.
United Arab Emirates — DHA, DOH Abu Dhabi and MOHAP. Residents training in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the northern emirates prepare a questionnaire-based non-interventional psychiatry research protocol for their programme and submit it for institutional review board approval before any data are collected.
Qatar — DHP (formerly QCHP) and Hamad Medical Corporation. A questionnaire-based non-interventional psychiatry IRB proposal is reviewed before recruitment, with the ethics section written to the institution's own template rather than a generic one.
Bahrain — NHRA. Trainees turning questionnaire-based non-interventional psychiatry research topics into a project need the proposal cleared by their institutional research and ethics committee before fieldwork begins.
Oman — OMSB. Residency programmes under the Oman Medical Specialty Board include a research component, and the questionnaire-based non-interventional psychiatry research proposal is the document assessed at the start of it.
Kuwait — KIMS. A questionnaire-based non-interventional psychiatry study protocol goes to the institutional committee for approval before the project begins.
Arab Board programmes across the region. The Arab Board carries its own research requirement irrespective of the host country, and the questionnaire-based non-interventional psychiatry proposal follows the same structure throughout.
Postgraduate degrees — Malaysia, the Gulf and beyond
Malaysia — MMed, the National Medical Research Register and MREC. A questionnaire-based non-interventional psychiatry dissertation proposal for a Master of Medicine programme carried out in a Ministry of Health facility must be registered on the NMRR and approved by the Medical Research and Ethics Committee before the study begins, and the guidance asks for submission four to six months ahead of data collection. Every investigator on the study team registers on the NMRR as well, so the methodology, ethics and team sections are written in far more detail than an Indian synopsis requires.
PhD and Master's candidates elsewhere. University programmes generally require a full questionnaire-based non-interventional psychiatry research proposal of roughly 6,000 to 10,000 words, with an extended literature review, a theoretical framework and a detailed methodology chapter.
PhD and MMed proposals are written individually by a medical doctor and revised until the supervisor accepts them. They are not produced by the automated protocol generator.
🔥 Trending research areas in Questionnaire-Based Non-Interventional Psychiatry for 2026–27
Digital behaviour and mental health: problematic smartphone use, social media exposure, gaming and sleep can be studied with validated self-report instruments in adolescent and young-adult populations.
Stigma, help-seeking and treatment engagement: internalised stigma, mental health literacy, treatment satisfaction and perceived social support provide feasible service-relevant outcomes.
Caregiver-reported burden and coping: caregiver burden, distress, coping and family functioning are increasingly useful paired outcomes in severe mental illness and neurocognitive disorders.
Cross-diagnostic symptom measurement: stress, sleep, quality of life, resilience and functional impairment can be compared across diagnostic groups when the constructs and instruments are clearly separated.
Protocol and synopsis guidance
What a Questionnaire-Based Non-Interventional Psychiatry protocol must contain
Define what each questionnaire actually measures. A symptom scale, screening tool, quality-of-life instrument, adherence scale or stigma measure should not be presented as interchangeable with a formal psychiatric diagnosis. The protocol should state whether diagnosis comes from routine clinical assessment and whether the questionnaire is being used for screening, severity measurement, functioning or another specific construct.
Specify the exact instrument version. Name the scale, language, validated population, scoring range, direction of scoring, cut-off if relevant and whether permission or licensing is required. If a translated version is used, the protocol should state whether a validated translation already exists or whether translation and cultural adaptation are part of the study.
Control questionnaire burden and overlapping constructs. Too many scales completed in one sitting can increase fatigue and patterned responses. When two instruments contain similar items, the resulting association may partly reflect item overlap rather than a distinct clinical relationship. The protocol should therefore justify every questionnaire and identify one primary analysis.
Questionnaire-Based Psychiatry synopsis versus Questionnaire-Based Psychiatry protocol
The synopsis states the constructs and broad analytical question. It should identify the population, diagnostic framework, principal questionnaire exposure, principal questionnaire outcome, study design and major clinical variables. A scale name alone is not an objective; the construct being measured should be explicit.
The protocol must reproduce administration and scoring. It should specify who administers the questionnaire, whether it is self-completed or interviewer-assisted, the language used, how missing items are handled, whether reverse-scored items exist and how total or subscale scores are calculated. The timing relative to routine clinical assessment or treatment should also be fixed.
Avoid post hoc cut-offs and data-driven hypotheses. Do not convert a continuous score into arbitrary categories after seeing the distribution, and do not test numerous questionnaire pairs without a predefined primary hypothesis. Exploratory secondary analyses can be reported as such, but they should not replace the original research question.
Sample size and statistical analysis
Base sample size on the primary analysis. Correlation studies, two-group comparisons and prevalence estimates require different calculations. The sample size should not be justified simply by the total number of questionnaire items, and every secondary scale does not require a separate independent sample.
Match the test to the scale and distribution. Many questionnaire totals are treated as continuous variables, but highly skewed or ordinal scores may require non-parametric methods or appropriately specified regression. Correlation measures association, not agreement or causation, and statistically significant correlation does not automatically imply clinical importance.
Limit multiple testing. Studies using several questionnaires, subscales and demographic variables can generate many statistical comparisons. The protocol should identify a primary exposure-outcome pair, justify secondary analyses and consider adjustment or cautious interpretation when numerous tests are performed.
1. How do I choose a feasible Questionnaire-Based Psychiatry thesis topic?
For 2026–2027 admissions, choose a population that is readily available in the department and a pair of constructs that can be measured using validated instruments without excessive questionnaire burden. Stress, sleep, stigma, adherence, social support, caregiver burden, quality of life and treatment satisfaction are often feasible when one primary association is defined in advance.
2. Which study designs are accepted for Questionnaire-Based Psychiatry research?
Cross-sectional analytical studies, comparative cross-sectional studies, agreement studies and caregiver-patient paired studies are commonly suitable. A questionnaire-only project should not be described as longitudinal or prospective unless the same participants are genuinely followed forward in time for a future outcome.
3. What should I settle with my guide before finalising the topic?
Settle the primary exposure, primary outcome, exact instrument versions, language, diagnostic framework, eligibility criteria, scoring method, cut-offs if justified and major confounders. Also confirm whether the institution has access or permission to use the selected scales and whether validated local-language versions are available.
4. How should translated or interviewer-assisted questionnaires be handled?
A validated translation should be preferred when available. If participants cannot self-complete the instrument, the protocol should state whether interviewer administration is permitted by the instrument and how interviewer influence will be minimised. Informal on-the-spot translation can alter meaning and should not be treated as equivalent to a validated language version.
5. What is the difference between a synopsis and a protocol for these topics?
The synopsis is the concise academic proposal submitted for approval, whereas the protocol is the operational document that specifies exactly how each questionnaire will be administered, scored and interpreted. Questionnaire-based protocols need explicit information on instrument version, language, permissions, missing items, scoring rules, cut-offs, timing and the predefined primary analysis.
6. What are the main ethics issues in Questionnaire-Based Psychiatry research?
Questionnaires may uncover suicidality, abuse, substance use, trauma or severe psychological distress even when the study is described as non-interventional. The protocol therefore needs a predefined clinical escalation pathway rather than treating a concerning response as research data only. For minors, guardian consent and developmentally appropriate assent from about seven years should be obtained where applicable.
Privacy is important because scales may contain sensitive items on self-harm, sexuality, stigma, substance use or family conflict. Identifiers should be minimised, and questionnaires should be completed in a setting that protects confidentiality. Eligible record-linked studies may receive a consent waiver after ethics approval. Research-only radiation, contrast or venepuncture should not be added to a questionnaire-only study; separate consent is required for identifiable photographs, audio or video.
7. What is the most common methodological mistake in Questionnaire-Based Psychiatry research?
The most common error is treating a questionnaire score as if it were the diagnosis. A depression, anxiety, stress, adherence or stigma scale measures the construct it was designed to measure and may support screening or severity assessment, but diagnosis should follow the stated clinical framework unless the instrument has specifically been validated for diagnostic use in that setting.
A second error is correlating several self-report scales measured at the same sitting and interpreting the result causally. Shared response style, current mood, literacy, social desirability and overlapping questionnaire items can influence both scores. Cross-sectional associations should therefore be described as associations rather than evidence that one construct caused the other.
8. Can these topics be used for PhD proposals or board research projects outside the Indian MD pathway?
Yes, but the depth and structure differ. A PhD proposal usually requires a broader conceptual framework, more extensive validation or longitudinal work and a programme of research beyond a single cross-sectional questionnaire study. Focused non-interventional questions can also be adapted to mandatory research-project or proposal requirements used by SCFHS and the Saudi Board, the Arab Board of Health Specializations, and DHP, DHA, DOH and MOHAP-linked training programmes, subject to local supervision, ethics and instrument permissions.
9. When should I register a Questionnaire-Based Psychiatry thesis protocol?
Registration should occur after the guide has approved the constructs, questionnaires, scoring plan, variables and recruitment source but before participant enrolment or research data collection begins. Ethics and institutional or university registration should follow the local sequence. Instrument permissions or licences should be resolved before data collection rather than after the study is complete.
Found a topic that fits your department?
Generate its full protocol — objectives, methodology, sample size, statistics, timeline, references and annexures — in editable format.
