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Ronald C. Kessler

Ronald C. Kessler

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Best Scientists
2025
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Medicine
USA
2026

D-Index & Metrics

Best Scientists

D-Index
338
Citations
532348
World Ranking
2
National Ranking
2

Medicine

D-Index
334
Citations
538403
World Ranking
2
National Ranking
2

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2026 - Research.com Medicine in United States Leader Award
  • 2025 - Research.com Best Scientists Award
  • 2025 - Research.com Medicine in United States Leader Award
  • 2023 - Research.com Medicine in United States Leader Award
  • 2022 - Research.com Medicine in United States Leader Award
  • 2019 - Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
  • 2008 - Member of the National Academy of Sciences
  • 1998 - Member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM)
  • 1997 - Rema Lapouse Award, American Public Health Association

Overview

Ronald C. Kessler is affiliated with Harvard University in the United States. Their research spans primarily the fields of psychology and medicine, with a strong emphasis on clinical psychology and psychiatry related to mental health.

The scientist's recent work includes several notable publications, such as:

  • Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression, 2021, JAMA Psychiatry
  • The Economic Burden of Adults with Major Depressive Disorder in the United States (2010 and 2018), 2021, PharmacoEconomics
  • Age of onset and cumulative risk of mental disorders: a cross-national analysis of population surveys from 29 countries, 2023, The Lancet Psychiatry
  • Association between Mental Disorders and Subsequent Medical Conditions, 2020, New England Journal of Medicine
  • Sources of Stress and Their Associations With Mental Disorders Among College Students: Results of the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys International College Student Initiative, 2020, Frontiers in Psychology

Their research engages extensively with topics such as:

  • Mental Health Treatment and Access
  • Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
  • Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
  • Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
  • Mental Health Research Topics
  • Traumatic Brain Injury Research
  • COVID-19 and Mental Health

Frequent co-authors contributing to their collaborative research include:

  • Samuel A. McLean
  • Nancy A. Sampson
  • Karestan C. Koenen
  • Sarah D. Linnstaedt
  • Francesca L. Beaudoin

Their publication record shows significant contributions in various academic venues, most notably:

  • UNC Libraries
  • Biological Psychiatry
  • Psychological Medicine
  • International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research
  • JAMA Psychiatry

Their scholarly work largely concentrates on the clinical and social aspects of psychology with substantial output in clinical psychology, social psychology, and experimental and cognitive psychology, as well as psychiatry and mental health. These areas align with their topics of study in mental health treatment accessibility, suicide prevention, trauma, childhood and adolescent development, and the mental health impacts related to public health emergencies such as COVID-19.

In recognition of their professional contributions, Ronald C. Kessler has received several awards including:

  • Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2019
  • Member of the National Academy of Sciences, 2008
  • Member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), 1998
  • Rema Lapouse Award, American Public Health Association, 1997

Best Publications

  • Lifetime Prevalence and Age-of-Onset Distributions of DSM-IV Disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication

    Ronald C. Kessler;Patricia Berglund;Olga Demler;Robert Jin

  • Lifetime and 12-Month Prevalence of DSM-III-R Psychiatric Disorders in the United States: Results From the National Comorbidity Survey

    Ronald C. Kessler;Katherine A. McGonagle;Shanyang Zhao;Christopher B. Nelson

  • Prevalence, Severity, and Comorbidity of 12-Month DSM-IV Disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication

    Ronald C. Kessler;Wai Tat Chiu;Olga Demler;Ellen E. Walters

  • Posttraumatic stress disorder in the National Comorbidity Survey.

    Ronald C. Kessler;Amanda Sonnega;Evelyn Bromet;Michael Hughes

  • Short screening scales to monitor population prevalences and trends in non-specific psychological distress.

    R C Kessler;G Andrews;L J Colpe;E Hiripi

  • TRENDS IN ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE USE IN THE UNITED STATES, 1990-1997 : RESULTS OF A FOLLOW-UP NATIONAL SURVEY

    David M. Eisenberg;Roger B. Davis;Susan L. Ettner;Scott Appel

  • The epidemiology of major depressive disorder: results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R).

    Ronald C. Kessler;Patricia Berglund;Olga Demler;Robert Jin

  • Unconventional medicine in the United States. Prevalence, costs, and patterns of use.

    David M. Eisenberg;Ronald C. Kessler;Cindy Foster;Frances E. Norlock

  • The Prevalence and Correlates of Eating Disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication

    James I. Hudson;Eva Hiripi;Harrison G. Pope;Ronald C. Kessler

  • Screening for Serious Mental Illness in the General Population

    Ronald C. Kessler;Peggy R. Barker;Lisa J. Colpe;Joan F. Epstein

  • The prevalence and distribution of major depression in a national community sample: the National Comorbidity Survey.

    Dan G. Blazer;Ronald C. Kessler;Katherine A. McGonagle;Marvin S. Swartz

  • The World Mental Health (WMH) Survey Initiative Version of the World Health Organization (WHO) Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI).

    Ronald C. Kessler;T. Bedirhan Üstün

  • The prevalence and correlates of adult ADHD in the United States: results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication.

    Ronald C. Kessler;Lenard Adler;Russell Barkley;Joseph Biederman

  • Prevalence, severity, and unmet need for treatment of mental disorders in the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys.

    Demyttenaere K;Bruffaerts R;Posada-Villa J;Gasquet I

  • Trauma and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in the Community: The 1996 Detroit Area Survey of Trauma

    Naomi Breslau;Ronald C. Kessler;Howard D. Chilcoat;Lonni R. Schultz

  • Age of onset of mental disorders: a review of recent literature

    Ronald C Kessler;G Paul Amminger;Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola;Jordi Alonso

  • The World Health Organization Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS): a short screening scale for use in the general population.

    Ronald C. Kessler;Lenard Adler;Minnie Ames;Olga Demler

  • Twelve-Month Use of Mental Health Services in the United States Results From the National Comorbidity Survey Replication

    Philip S. Wang;Michael Lane;Mark Olfson;Harold A. Pincus

  • Twelve‐month and lifetime prevalence and lifetime morbid risk of anxiety and mood disorders in the United States.

    Ronald C. Kessler;Maria Petukhova;Nancy A. Sampson;Alan M. Zaslavsky

  • Prevalence of and risk factors for lifetime suicide attempts in the National Comorbidity Survey.

    Ronald C. Kessler;Guilherme Borges;Ellen E. Walters

Frequent Co-Authors

Nancy A. Sampson
Nancy A. Sampson Harvard University
Jordi Alonso
Jordi Alonso Pompeu Fabra University
Murray B. Stein
Murray B. Stein University of California, San Diego
Matthew K. Nock
Matthew K. Nock Harvard University
Josep Maria Haro
Josep Maria Haro University of Barcelona
Robert J. Ursano
Robert J. Ursano Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Alan M. Zaslavsky
Alan M. Zaslavsky Harvard University
Jose Posada-Villa
Jose Posada-Villa Universidad Colegio Mayor de Cundinamarca
Giovanni de Girolamo
Giovanni de Girolamo Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli

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