IJ

International Journal of Mental Health Systems

International Journal of Mental Health Systems publishes mental health research and health systems research, reviews and case studies focused on mental health legislation and policy, financing and governance, service design, implementation and evaluation, human resource development, and translation of research to inform mental health policy.

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Subject Psychiatry
Impact Factor 3.8
Quartile Q1
Open Access Type Open
ISSN 1752-4458
eISSN 1752-4458
Invitation Only Yes
Cost Range APC £2790.00 GBP / $3790.00 USD / €3090.00 EUR, subject to VAT or local taxes where applicable.

Submission Instructions

International Journal of Mental Health Systems is an invitation-only journal. Submissions are accepted by invitation from the editorial board only. The following article types are accepted:

Research Article

Cover Letter A cover letter is required. It must explain why the manuscript should be published in International Journal of Mental Health Systems, note any journal policy issues, declare potential competing interests, confirm approval by all authors, confirm that the content has not been published or submitted elsewhere, and mention the specific special issue if applicable.
Abstract An abstract is required. The abstract must not exceed 350 words. The abstract must be structured. The abstract must use the headings Background, Methods, Results, Conclusions, and Trial registration.
Manuscript The manuscript must include Background, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions, and a Declarations section. It must include three to ten keywords, an Availability of data and materials statement, a Competing interests section, an Authors' contributions section, and a statement documenting use of any large language model.
References Vancouver style. References must be numbered in the order cited, follow Vancouver style with Index Medicus/MEDLINE journal abbreviations, and include full details for any dataset citations and URLs.
Figures & Tables Figures must be uploaded separately and tables may be placed within the manuscript or at the end of the document depending on length. Figures and tables must be numbered in sequence, figure and table titles must not exceed 15 words, legends must not exceed 300 words, and reused figures or tables require permission and source attribution.
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Systematic Review

Cover Letter A cover letter is required. The cover letter must explain why the manuscript should be published in International Journal of Mental Health Systems, disclose any journal policy issues and competing interests, confirm that all authors approved the submission, confirm that the manuscript has not been published or submitted elsewhere, and refer to the named special issue if applicable.
Abstract An abstract is required. Abstract must not exceed 350 words. The abstract must be structured. The abstract must use the headings Background, Methods, Results, Conclusions, and Registration, and the registration number must appear as the last line if the review was registered.
Manuscript Systematic reviews must be no longer than 5500 words, excluding the abstract, tables, and figures. The manuscript must include Background, Methods, Results, Conclusions, Declarations, and Contributions to the literature sections, and the Methods section must describe the review process, searches, eligibility criteria, quality assessment, data extraction, synthesis, and any protocol reference. The manuscript must include a bulleted Contributions to the literature statement, a populated reporting checklist, a Declarations section with the specified subheadings, and a list of three to ten keywords.
References Vancouver reference style is required. References must use Vancouver style, journal abbreviations must follow Index Medicus/MEDLINE, web links and URLs must be numbered and listed in full with the site title and access date, and cited data should include persistent identifiers such as DOIs.
Figures & Tables Figures and tables may be included within the manuscript or uploaded separately as applicable, and systematic reviews must include a flow diagram and a linked additional file reproducing the search strategy. Figures and tables must be numbered in sequence, figures and tables must have titles and legends within word limits, and tables and figures must follow the detailed journal formatting rules including composite multi-panel figures and proper citation in text.
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Brief Report

Cover Letter A cover letter is required. It must explain why the manuscript should be published in International Journal of Mental Health Systems, note any journal policy issues, declare any competing interests, confirm all authors approved the submission, confirm the manuscript has not been published or submitted elsewhere, and mention the specific special issue name if applicable.
Abstract An abstract is required. The abstract must not exceed 350 words. Unstructured. If the article reports a health care intervention on human participants, the abstract must include a Trial registration section with the registration number and date of registration.
Manuscript The manuscript must include Background, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusions sections. A list of abbreviations must be provided if abbreviations are used, and a Declarations section must include Ethics approval and consent to participate, Consent for publication, Availability of data and materials, Competing interests, Funding, Authors' contributions, and Acknowledgements, with Authors' information optional.
References Vancouver reference style. References must follow Vancouver style, web links and URLs must be numbered and placed in the reference list, and journal abbreviations must follow Index Medicus/MEDLINE.
Figures & Tables Figures and tables are uploaded separately rather than embedded as figures, while tables may be placed in the manuscript if short enough and larger tables may be placed at the end of the text file. Figures and tables must be numbered in sequence, figure and table titles must not exceed 15 words, figure and table legends must not exceed 300 words, and tables must not use color, shading, or commas for numerical values.
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Correspondence

Cover Letter A cover letter is required. The cover letter must explain why the manuscript should be published in International Journal of Mental Health Systems, note any journal policy issues, declare potential competing interests, confirm all authors approved submission, confirm the manuscript has not been published or submitted elsewhere, and mention the specific special issue name if applicable.
Abstract An abstract is required. The abstract must not exceed 250 words. The abstract may be unstructured.
Manuscript Correspondence should be around 800 words excluding references. The main text may be broken into subsections with short, informative headings and must include a Declarations section. The title page must list all authors' full names and institutional addresses and identify the corresponding author, the manuscript must include three to ten keywords, and the individual contributions of authors, all funding sources, and the required ethics and consent statements must be included where applicable.
References Vancouver style. References must be numbered in text, use Vancouver style, and only published or in-press articles, published abstracts, and public e-print or preprint materials may be cited.
Figures & Tables Figures and tables are not specifically required to be embedded or uploaded separately in the source material. Figures and tables must follow the journal's general numbering and legend/title rules, and tables must not be embedded as figures or spreadsheet files.
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Recent Publications

Participatory systems modelling to improve mental health systems in Bogotá, Colombia: stakeholders’ perspectives, experiences and networks

Adriane Martin Hilber, Salvador Camacho, Mónica Natalí Sánchez Nítola, Dèbora L. Shambo-Rodríguez, Grace Yeeun Lee, Laura Ospina Pinillos, Jo-An Occhipinti

10.1186/s13033-026-00704-1
View Publication

Could seasonal patterns in ECT use impact service delivery? A nationwide study

David Barruel, Marion Plaze, Valérie Dauriac-Le Masson

10.1186/s13033-026-00713-0
View Publication

New policies, old habits: why and how Dutch mental healthcare moves towards collaboration

T.S. van Dijk, C. de Koning, M. Felder, W.K. van der Scheer, R.T.J.M. Janssen

10.1186/s13033-026-00708-x
View Publication

Experiencing and navigating occupational stigma as a peer support worker in mental health services: a qualitative exploration

Trishna Chauhan

10.1186/s13033-026-00712-1
View Publication

Association between ward structural changes and coercive interventions in psychiatric emergency wards in Japan: a retrospective study

Takaaki Hirooka, Satoru Oishi, Shoko Miura, Ken Inada

10.1186/s13033-026-00710-3
View Publication

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to publish?

Is a cover letter required?

A cover letter is required and should explain why the manuscript should be published in International Journal of Mental Health Systems, address any journal policy issues, declare competing interests, confirm all authors approved submission, confirm the work has not been published or submitted elsewhere, and name any special issue if applicable. Potential peer reviewers may be suggested.

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What are the publication costs?

An APC applies for each accepted article. The current APC is £2790.00 GBP / $3790.00 USD / €3090.00 EUR, subject to VAT or local taxes where applicable.

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Research Topics

Mental Health Treatment and Access Schizophrenia research and treatment Family Caregiving in Mental Illness Mental Health and Patient Involvement Digital Mental Health Interventions Psychiatric care and mental health services Health Policy Implementation Science Healthcare Decision-Making and Restraints Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development Migration, Health and Trauma Suicide and Self-Harm Studies Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum COVID-19 and Mental Health Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending Community Health and Development Healthcare Systems and Reforms Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes Mental Health and Psychiatry Primary Care and Health Outcomes Healthcare professionals’ stress and burnout Mental Health via Writing Employment and Welfare Studies Child Abuse and Trauma Healthcare innovation and challenges

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