Public Mental Health Promotion for Vulnerable Populations: Opportunities in the Digital Era
A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Global Health".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 May 2026 | Viewed by 1186
Special Issue Editors
Interests: public mental health; migration; health and social inequalities; community-based participatory research
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Mental wellbeing is integral component of health and a basic human right, crucial for personal, community, and socio-economic development. A combination of multiple individual, social, and structural determinants could protect or deter our mental health, and particular populations are more vulnerable to mental health problems. Disparities such as poor housing, unstable work conditions, race and gender disparities, age-based inequity, and liminal citizenship rights can have a profound effect on mental wellbeing. Systemic social vulnerability in mental health can be mediated by innovative, integrative mental health promotion and prevention interventions.
Promotion and prevention interventions, designed for individuals, specific groups, or whole populations, reduce risks, build resilience, and establish supportive environments for mental health. The success of these programmes is dependent on their multisectorial, cross-disciplinary, and inclusive approach, and actions should address challenges for global mental health such as climate change, income inequality, displaced populations due to war and poverty, diminishing state funding for welfare, etc. Therefore, interventions should be aimed at strengthening policy environment, mental health literacy, and healthy behaviours as well as engaging with new opportunities deriving from the use of digital technologies to enable place-based solutions, more readily available support, co-produced ways of wellbeing support, and self-care.
Papers addressing these topics are invited for this Special Issue, especially those combining a high academic standard coupled with a practical focus on discussing optimal public mental health interventions engaging with innovative approaches.
Prof. Dr. Eleni Hatzidimitriadou
Dr. Theo Fotis
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- digital mental health promotion
- public mental health
- health and social inequalities
- participatory research
- community-based approaches
- living labs
- older people
- vulnerable groups
- trauma-informed practice
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