Exploring mental illness through systems thinking (MIST).
MIST is my current research programme, funded by the NIHR Advanced Fellowship (2022-27). This research aims to identify the social and environmental causes of severe mental illness, self-harm, and suicide. My research has a particular focus on socially excluded populations, including migrants, minority ethnic groups, and those who face material, social, political, or structural exclusion.
In order to tackle these research questions, I use tools from epidemiology, data science, systems thinking, and public mental health.
My long-term goal is to further our understanding of the causal architecture underlying severe mental illnesses and inform policies and population-based interventions which could prevent the onset and reduce the burden of mental health problems in socially excluded groups.
MIST Psychiatric Epidemiology
Latest research
Social media and adolescent mental health

Longitudinal research on social media use and mental health problems in UK young people
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Principal investigator

Dr Dykxhoorn is a psychiatric epidemiologist working at UCL [read more…]
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Swedish data (5) Epidemiology (4) Longitudinal (4)
Jen Dykxhoorn, PhD
Psychiatric Epidemiologist & public mental health expert
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