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Medical Thesis Topics

DM · DrNB

50 DM Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Thesis Topics

Academic session 2026-2027  · 50 topics

This page lists 50 child and adolescent psychiatry thesis topics for DM and DrNB candidates in India for the 2026-2027 academic session. Research in this specialty requires parental consent and child assent, validated instruments designed specifically for younger populations, and careful attention to whether the research question applies to a developing rather than an adult brain.

The child and adolescent psychiatry thesis topics below are built on those instruments and apply them to the clinical populations this specialty actually sees. They cover attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum conditions, conduct and behavioural disorders, anxiety and depressive presentations in children, learning difficulties, childhood trauma and adversity, adolescent substance use, family factors, and school-based mental health.

Click any topic to open it in the protocol generator with the title already filled in.

  1. A cross-sectional study of the clinical profile of children presenting with attention deficit hyperactivity disorderGet protocol
  2. An observational study of attention and hyperactivity symptoms assessed by a validated rating scale across settingsGet protocol
  3. A study of the academic performance and social functioning of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorderGet protocol
  4. An observational study of the comorbidity pattern in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorderGet protocol
  5. A comparative study of parent and teacher ratings of attention and behaviour in childrenGet protocol
  6. A cross-sectional study of medication adherence and its determinants in children on psychostimulant therapyGet protocol
  7. An observational study of the developmental and behavioural profile of children with autism spectrum disorderGet protocol
  8. A cross-sectional study of the severity and functional impact of autism spectrum disorder assessed by a validated instrumentGet protocol
  9. A study of associated conditions and comorbidities in children with autism spectrum disorderGet protocol
  10. An observational study of the age at diagnosis and the pathway to specialist assessment in autismGet protocol
  11. A cross-sectional study of family functioning and caregiver burden in parents of children with autismGet protocol
  12. A study of the learning profile and academic support needs of children with autism spectrum disorderGet protocol
  13. A cross-sectional study of the clinical profile of children presenting with conduct disorderGet protocol
  14. An observational study of family and social risk factors in children with conduct and oppositional disordersGet protocol
  15. A study of the pattern of disruptive behaviour problems in children attending a child psychiatry clinicGet protocol
  16. A cross-sectional study of the clinical profile of children presenting with anxiety disordersGet protocol
  17. An observational study of symptom severity and functional impact in childhood anxiety disordersGet protocol
  18. A study of the association between parental anxiety and anxiety symptoms in childrenGet protocol
  19. An observational study of the clinical profile and aetiology of depressive disorders in adolescentsGet protocol
  20. A cross-sectional study of depressive symptoms assessed by a validated instrument in adolescentsGet protocol
  21. A study of suicidal ideation and its prevalence among adolescents attending a psychiatry clinicGet protocol
  22. An observational study of the clinical profile of children presenting with adjustment disordersGet protocol
  23. A cross-sectional study of sleep problems and their clinical associations among children attending a psychiatry clinicGet protocol
  24. An observational study of screen time and its association with behaviour and sleep in childrenGet protocol
  25. A study of the clinical profile of children presenting with tic disordersGet protocol
  26. An observational study of the developmental and psychiatric profile of children with specific learning disorderGet protocol
  27. A cross-sectional study of the intellectual assessment findings in children referred for learning difficultyGet protocol
  28. A study of school refusal and its clinical profile among children attending a child psychiatry serviceGet protocol
  29. An observational study of the clinical profile of children presenting with enuresis and encopresisGet protocol
  30. A cross-sectional study of the adverse childhood experiences reported by children in a psychiatry clinicGet protocol
  31. An observational study of the psychiatric presentation of children who have experienced traumaGet protocol
  32. A study of post-traumatic stress symptoms in children following a defined traumatic eventGet protocol
  33. An observational study of substance use and its pattern among adolescents attending a psychiatry serviceGet protocol
  34. A cross-sectional study of alcohol and tobacco use and its determinants among school-going adolescentsGet protocol
  35. A study of the clinical profile of adolescents presenting with first episode psychosisGet protocol
  36. An observational study of the clinical spectrum of childhood onset schizophreniaGet protocol
  37. A cross-sectional study of the family functioning and expressed emotion in families of children with psychiatric disordersGet protocol
  38. An observational study of parenting stress and its correlates among parents of children with mental health conditionsGet protocol
  39. A cross-sectional study of the mental health literacy of parents regarding childhood psychiatric disordersGet protocol
  40. A study of the duration of untreated illness before specialist assessment in child and adolescent psychiatryGet protocol
  41. An observational study of the referral pattern and source of referrals to a child psychiatry serviceGet protocol
  42. A cross-sectional study of the clinical profile of children admitted to a child psychiatry inpatient unitGet protocol
  43. An observational study of the reasons for psychiatric admission among children and adolescentsGet protocol
  44. A study of treatment adherence and its determinants among adolescents with psychiatric disordersGet protocol
  45. An observational study of psychopharmacological prescribing patterns in a child psychiatry outpatientGet protocol
  46. A cross-sectional study of the stigma experienced by families of children with psychiatric disordersGet protocol
  47. An observational study of the use of traditional and faith-based healing before psychiatric consultationGet protocol
  48. A cross-sectional study of the prevalence of mental health problems assessed by a validated screen in school-going childrenGet protocol
  49. An observational study of teacher awareness and referral practice for children with mental health needsGet protocol
  50. A study of the impact of a child’s psychiatric disorder on parental occupational functioningGet protocol

Choosing a DM Child and Adolescent Psychiatry thesis topic

What consent arrangements apply to child and adolescent psychiatry research?

Written parental or guardian consent for every participant, and assent from children who are able to understand, generally from seven years of age. The protocol must describe how assent is sought, what happens when a child declines while the parent agrees, and how the child's reluctance will be respected. Committees examine this carefully, particularly where the child has a psychiatric diagnosis that may affect understanding.

Which instruments are used in child and adolescent psychiatry research?

Age-appropriate, validated tools rather than adult scales. The Childhood Autism Rating Scale, the Conners Rating Scales for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, the Child Behaviour Checklist, the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders, the Children's Depression Inventory, and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire are all commonly used. Confirm a validated translation exists for the language of administration.

What ethical issues are specific to this specialty?

Vulnerability is the central one. Children are both developmentally vulnerable and legally unable to consent independently. Where a study involves observation of behaviour, review of school records or interview with teachers, the protocol must state what permissions are needed beyond parental consent. Studies touching on trauma, abuse or family conflict require particular sensitivity and a clear plan for what happens if a safeguarding concern emerges.

Thesis and protocol questions

How is a thesis topic different from a thesis protocol?

The topic is the title — the question a study sets out to answer, together with the population and the design. The protocol is the full document built around it: background, review of literature, aims and objectives, inclusion and exclusion criteria, sample size calculation, methodology, statistical plan, ethics considerations, consent documents and references. A topic is agreed with a guide first; the protocol is written afterwards and submitted to the institutional ethics committee.

When does a postgraduate thesis have to be submitted?

For most Indian postgraduate programmes the protocol is submitted within the first six months of joining, and the completed thesis is submitted at least six months before the final examination. Exact deadlines are set by the university, so the departmental circular for the current session takes precedence over any general timeline.

How is sample size decided for a postgraduate thesis?

Sample size follows from the primary objective, not the other way round. A prevalence study is powered from an expected proportion and an acceptable margin of error; a comparative study is powered from the expected difference between groups, the standard deviation, alpha and desired power. The figure should then be checked against the institution's actual case load for the study period, because a statistically ideal sample that cannot be recruited in the time available is not a workable plan.

Does a thesis topic need ethics committee approval?

Yes. Every postgraduate thesis involving human participants, human data or human samples requires clearance from the institutional ethics committee before data collection begins. Approval is granted on the protocol rather than on the title, and the submission usually includes the protocol, the participant information sheet and the consent form in English and in the local language.

What makes a topic realistic for a three-year postgraduate programme?

A workable topic can be completed at a single centre, with equipment and investigations that are already available in routine practice, within roughly eighteen months of data collection. Topics that depend on external funding, specialised assays, multicentre coordination or long follow-up tend to stall. Choosing a condition the department already sees in volume matters more than choosing a novel one.

Can a thesis be published as a research paper afterwards?

Yes, and it is generally expected. A thesis is usually condensed into a paper of around three to four thousand words, restructured into the standard introduction, methods, results and discussion format, with the review of literature shortened considerably. Journals differ in their requirements, and the ethics approval number from the original thesis is normally cited in the methods section.

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