Emerging Trends in Youth Mental Health
A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Neuropsychology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 23 January 2026 | Viewed by 431
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The mental health of young people is a growing global concern. Rapid cultural changes and technological innovations have created a complex mental health landscape. Emerging issues such as pressure for high performance, social media influence, climate change anxiety, as well as identity struggles, highlight the urgent need for research that informs effective interventions. Indeed, all these factors have been shown to affect neural development, regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and associated pathways influencing stress responses and mental health outcomes. As a result, rates of anxiety and depressive symptoms, eating disorders, suicidal behaviours, together with emerging forms of addiction have risen among young people. In this context, innovative solutions such as digital interventions and community-driven approaches are reforming the way mental health services are delivered to the younger generations.
This special issue aims to highlight emerging trends, innovative practices, and multidisciplinary approaches in youth mental health, offering insights for researchers, clinicians, and policymakers.
Aims of the Special Issue
The special issue will cover a wide range of topics in youth mental health, including:
- Emerging Challenges: Examining the influence of high-performance demands, social media, climate change anxiety, as well as identity issues and new struggles on youth mental health.
- Neurobiological Perspectives: Exploring the impact of socio-cultural changes on neural development, regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and associated pathways influencing stress responses and mental health outcomes.
- Innovations in Interventions: Highlighting advancements in digital mental health tools, school-based programs, and preventive strategies aimed at early detection in young people.
Dr. Ilaria Riboldi
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- mental health
- adolescent mental health
- young adult
- stress, psychological
- social media
- climate change
- identity development
- digital health
- school health services
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