American Journal of Psychiatry

American Journal of Psychiatry
Title	American Journal of Psychiatry
Discipline	Psychiatry
Abbreviation	Am. J. Psychiatry
Publisher	American Psychiatric Association
Country	United States
Frequency	Monthly
History	1844–present
Impact	18.0
Impact-year	2024

American Journal of Psychiatry is a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal published by the American Psychiatric Association that focuses on clinical practice, research, and policy related to mental health. It publishes original research, review articles, case reports, and editorials addressing psychiatric disorders, psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, neurobiology, and public health. The journal serves as a primary venue for dissemination among clinicians, researchers, and policymakers associated with major institutions and professional societies.

History

The journal traces institutional roots to nineteenth-century medical publishing in the United States alongside periodicals such as The Lancet, JAMA, The New England Journal of Medicine, and contemporaneous American medical societies. Throughout the twentieth century, editors and contributors included figures affiliated with Johns Hopkins Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Yale School of Medicine, and Mayo Clinic. The journal has reflected debates linked to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, revisions such as DSM-IV and DSM-5, and controversies involving treatments associated with institutions like Bellevue Hospital and research centers such as National Institute of Mental Health. Landmark historical episodes connecting the journal to broader medical history involved interactions with regulatory and funding bodies including the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and philanthropic organizations such as the Rockefeller Foundation. Prominent contributors have included clinicians and scientists from McLean Hospital, Mount Sinai Hospital (Manhattan), University of Pennsylvania Health System, Stanford University School of Medicine, and University of California, San Francisco.

Scope and Content

The journal covers clinical trials, epidemiological studies, neuroimaging research, genetic analyses, and translational neuroscience linking work from laboratories at institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Salk Institute, and Broad Institute. Topics commonly intersect with psychiatric nosology represented by DSM-5, pharmacotherapy trials involving drugs reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration, psychotherapeutic approaches associated with practitioners at Menninger Clinic and Palo Alto Veterans Hospital, and health services research tied to programs at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Veterans Health Administration. Content often synthesizes findings from authors affiliated with international centers including King's College London, University College London, Karolinska Institutet, University of Toronto, and University of Oxford.

Abstracting and Indexing

The journal is indexed in major bibliographic databases and abstracting services used by clinicians and academics, including PubMed, MEDLINE, Science Citation Index, Scopus, Embase, and PsycINFO. Libraries and consortia that provide access include Library of Congress, Wellcome Trust, and university systems such as University of California, University of Michigan, and University of Sydney. Citation metrics reported by indexing services are tracked alongside comparative rankings involving journals like Biological Psychiatry, The Lancet Psychiatry, and JAMA Psychiatry.

Impact and Reception

The journal has been influential in shaping clinical guidelines and public policy debates involving organizations such as the World Health Organization and professional groups like the Royal College of Psychiatrists. High-profile articles have influenced regulatory decisions at the Food and Drug Administration and funding priorities at the National Institute of Mental Health. Critical reception has ranged from praise in outlets such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal to scrutiny in venues including The BMJ and analyses by scholars at Princeton University, Harvard University, and Columbia University. Its impact factor and citation metrics are commonly compared with specialty journals tied to institutions such as Johns Hopkins University, Oxford University Press, and Cambridge University Press.

Editorial Structure and Policies

The editorial office coordinates peer review and editorial policies under oversight by the American Psychiatric Association and editorial boards composed of experts from centers like Stanford University School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, Duke University School of Medicine, and New York University School of Medicine. Policies address conflicts of interest involving pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and Roche, data sharing consistent with standards advocated by organizations like the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and transparency expectations of repositories such as Dryad and ClinicalTrials.gov. Ethical oversight aligns with declarations and guidelines promulgated by bodies including the World Medical Association and institutional review boards at universities like Columbia University and University of California, Los Angeles.

Notable Articles and Contributions

The journal has published influential randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and consensus statements that have shaped practice for conditions treated with medications produced by firms such as AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline, and psychotherapies developed at centers like University College London and University of Pennsylvania. Seminal reports have come from investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital, McLean Hospital, Columbia University, King's College London, and Karolinska Institutet, and have addressed major topics including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder—research areas also advanced at institutions such as VA Boston Healthcare System and National Institutes of Health. The journal's archive includes articles cited in clinical guidelines authored by groups like the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and policy statements referenced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Category:Psychiatry journals