John Pachankis, PhD
David R. Kessler, M.D. '55 Professor of Public Health (Social and Behavioral Sciences), Professor of Psychology and Professor of PsychiatryCards
About
Titles
David R. Kessler, M.D. '55 Professor of Public Health (Social and Behavioral Sciences), Professor of Psychology and Professor of Psychiatry
Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health
Biography
John Pachankis, Ph.D. is the David R. Kessler Professor of Public Health and, secondarily, of Psychiatry and Psychology. As Director of Yale’s LGBTQ Mental Health Initiative, his goals are to: (1) identify the complex reasons that LGBTQ populations experience one of the highest risks for mental health morbidity across all of psychiatric epidemiology and (2) bring effective mental health treatments to LGBTQ people in the US and around the world. His NIH-funded studies span population-based cohorts, clinical trials, and community implementation research. This research first seeks to identify the developmental precursors and biopsychosocial mechanisms of LGBTQ people’s disproportionate mental health burden. These studies then also engage these mechanisms as treatment targets. These treatments have shown efficacy for reducing the co-occurring mental health risks commonly affecting LGBTQ people (e.g., depression, anxiety, substance use disorders) across several randomized controlled trials. He has published 180+ scientific papers on LGBTQ people’s mental health and co-edited the Handbook of Evidence-Based Mental Health Practice with Sexual and Gender Minorities (Oxford University Press). His research has received several awards, has influenced policy, and appears in international media.
You can learn more about his research at https://medicine.yale.edu/lgbtqmentalhealth/
Appointments
Social and Behavioral Sciences
ProfessorPrimaryDepartment of Psychology
ProfessorSecondaryPsychiatry
ProfessorSecondary
Other Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- Predoctoral fellow
- McLean Hospital / Harvard Medical School (2008)
- PhD
- State University of New York at Stony Brook (2008)
- MA
- State University of New York at Stony Brook (2004)
Research
Overview
Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
News
News
- November 01, 2024
Yale LGBTQ Mental Health Initiative receives prestigious award
- August 30, 2024
Distinguished Speakers Announced: Yale Child Study Center Grand Rounds Fall 2024
- November 20, 2023
YSPH Team Creates LGBTQ+-affirmative Cognitive-behavioral Therapy
- August 29, 2023
$4 Million Grant Will Help YSPH Team Implement New LGBTQ Mental Health Therapy