Department of Psychiatry

The Yale Department of Psychiatry is dedicated to providing the highest quality education in the field of Psychiatry; to providing leaders and leadership for the field; and to acquiring and disseminating new scientific knowledge pertinent to the causes and treatments of severe neuropsychiatric disorders and to serving as a model of exemplary mental healthcare for students and society.

EducationYale offers undergraduate and graduate medical education programs as well as training opportunities in psychology and research. Our residents, fellows, and faculty are committed to excellence and innovation in student education.
Residency: Why Train at Yale?The training experiences, mentorship, and individualized education plan provided by Yale's residency program will build a solid foundation for the rest of your career.
ResearchCollaboration is central to our success, with interdisciplinary and translational teams of basic and clinical scientists working together to rapidly bring breakthroughs from the lab to the clinic.
Centers, Clinics & ProgramsOur research specialty clinics are organized around specific psychiatric conditions, allowing dedicated teams of clinicians and scientists to work together to meet patients’ unique needs and to translate the latest science into new breakthroughs.
Patient CareThe range of clinical services spans all ages, from adolescent through geriatric populations, and all illnesses from the most severe and debilitating of psychoses and major affective disorders, to personality and addictive disorders.
Psychology SectionWith more than 200 full-time and voluntary faculty, the Psychology Section leads clinical care, education, and research, collaborating across disciplines locally, nationally, and internationally.
Faculty DirectoryLeaders in the field of psychiatry, our faculty conduct cutting-edge research, implement the latest advances in clinical care, and develop innovative and nationally recognized curricula.

Chair's WelcomeWelcome to the website of the Department of Psychiatry of the Yale University School of Medicine. Yale is a remarkably exciting academic psychiatry community distinguished by the impact, breadth, and depth of its clinical, training, and research programs.

About the Department & Our MissionThe Yale Department of Psychiatry is a world leader in patient care, research, and education. Our department prides itself on its diverse and talented faculty, including a cadre of compassionate clinicians, inter-disciplinary teams of talented investigators, and numerous committed and dedicated teachers, as well as a network of able alumni that remain vital to our missions.

Psychology Section

With over 200 full time and voluntary faculty, the Psychology Section within the Yale Department of Psychiatry is one of the largest and most accomplished groups of psychologists in an academic medical center.

Pioneering Interventional Psychiatric Services: Yale School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Health

The collaboration between Yale School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Psychiatric Hospital (YNHPH) has resulted in the translation of world-leading research to patient-centered care. Pioneers in the laboratories and in the clinics are transforming lives through the Interventional Psychiatric Services (IPS). IPS is the culmination of research and clinical practice to provide patients who have not been successful with more traditional treatments an opportunity for a better life. IPS includes comprehensive, specialty consultations, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), Ketamine Infusion Therapy (KIT) and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). Click on the Yale Psychiatry logo above to view a video about the service.

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Ketamine Clinical Trial

Parkinson disease not only affects a person's mobility, but also many other symptoms in a person with Parkinson disease life. Depression is a very common symptom caused by Parkinson disease, and adequate treatment is imperative for patients to feel their best. Through collaborations between Drs. Sophie E. Holmes and Gerard Sanacora of Psychiatry and the Movement Disorders group, researchers are conducting the first clinical trial of ketamine as an antidepressant in PD. Due to how it works in the brain – its ability to help form new synapses – they have strong reason to believe it will effectively treat depression, and possibly other symptoms, in PD. Using brain imaging before and after treatment will help to determine how it works in the brains of people with Parkinson’s for the first time. The trial is taking place at the Yale New Haven Psychiatric Hospital. In this video, hear more about the trial from Drs. Holmes and Sanacora and from Brenda, who talks about her experience participating in this groundbreaking research.

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