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INFORMATION FOR

    John Pachankis, PhD

    David R. Kessler, M.D. '55 Professor of Public Health (Social and Behavioral Sciences), Professor of Psychology and Professor of Psychiatry
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    Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health

    About

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    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

    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 Research Interests

    Anxiety; Behavioral Research; Behavioral Sciences; Depression; Mental Health; Sexual and Gender Minorities; Social Behavior; Social Change; Social Conditions; Social Sciences; Social Stigma

    Public Health Interests

    Mental Health; Stigma and Discrimination; Health Equity, Disparities, Social Determinants and Justice; Community Health; Global Health

    Research at a Glance

    Yale Co-Authors

    Frequent collaborators of John Pachankis's published research.

    Publications

    2024

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    Academic Achievements & Community Involvement

    • honor

      2022-23 Scholar

      National AwardFulbright Scholar Program

    Get In Touch

    Contacts

    Email
    Academic Office Number

    Locations

    • 60 College Street

      Academic Office

      Ste 316

      New Haven, CT 06510

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    • Yale LGBTQ Mental Health Initiative

      Lab

      276 5th Avenue

      New York, NY 10001

      Get Directions