Immigrant and Refugee Mental Health Promotion
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: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 109
Special Issue Editors
Interests: mental health; refugees; migration; gender-based analysis; intersectionality; participatory action research; arts-based methods
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Mental health can be broadly defined to include not only mental health conditions and psychological problems but also undiagnosed mental health challenges, such as complex intersections that are determined by individual, social, and structural stresses and vulnerabilities.
Immigrants and refugees are population groups who migrate for many reasons, including those based on economic, social, and political grounds. Refugees, in particular, are a subset of immigrants who experience forced migration, based on political and/or social persecution because of climate change, gender identity, race/ethnicity, and political affiliation, and these immigrants require protection from nation states. As differences exist related to the reasons behind migration, both immigrants and refugees experience significant mental health challenges as a result of migration, in addition to other factors not limited to acculturation, gender-based stress, language barriers, racism, poverty, social isolation, and family stressors. These social factors can lead to maladaptive coping behaviors that can then lead to gender-based violence and substance use problems. To address these challenges, The World Mental Health Report: Transforming Mental Health for All (2022) [1] has argued for increased multisector, community-based initiatives that center on human rights and the social determinants of mental health. However, the implementation of community-based initiatives that are well integrated are lacking on a global scale. Additionally, limited attention has been afforded to the social determinants of immigrant and refugee mental health.
A rethinking of the way immigrants and refugees can be supported to promote agency and prevent and manage mental health and problematic substance use requires the integration of multisectoral collaboration and the adoption of culturally safe and trauma-informed strategies. Therefore, we welcome research that addresses service innovation and integration through community-based, global initiatives in both under-resourced settings and well-resourced settings. Specifically, we welcome articles that support capacity building, inter-agency collaboration, and the lived experience of immigrant and refugee communities, as outlined by the WHO’s 2022 policy report. Research that includes critical theoretical perspectives such as intersectionality, arts-based methodologies, and literature reviews, as well as qualitative or quantitative studies, are welcome. We also value contributions that address important intersections of mental health, including substance use and family-centered initiatives that promote access to care.
Reference:
- World Health Organization. World mental health report: Transforming mental health for all; World Health Organization: Geneva, Switzerland, 2022.
Dr. Nancy Clark
Dr. Geoffrey Maina
Guest Editors
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.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 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
- substance use
- community-based services and support
- immigrants
- refugees
- capacity building
- lived experience
- global perspectives
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
