Substance Misuse and Mental Health Among Young Adults
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 June 2026 | Viewed by 121
Special Issue Editor
Interests: substance abuse prevention; alcohol harm reduction; HPV vaccine adherence; blood donation; distracted driving behaviors; health behavior change
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Substance use and mental health concerns are becoming increasingly prevalent among young adults, often co-occurring and mutually reinforcing. This developmental stage is marked by unique challenges—academic stress, identity formation, and increased autonomy—that can heighten vulnerability to risky behaviors and psychological distress. The intersection of substance abuse and mental health not only affects individual well-being but also poses significant public health concerns.
This Special Issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health seeks contributions that explore the interplay between substance use (e.g., alcohol, cannabis, prescription misuse, polysubstance use) and mental health (e.g., depression, anxiety, suicidality) among young adults aged 18–29. We welcome original research, systematic reviews, and intervention studies, particularly those that highlight prevention, harm reduction, community-based participatory research, or the role of social determinants of health. Our aim is to advance our understanding of this topic and promote effective, evidence-based approaches that support the wellbeing of young adults across various populations and contexts.
Dr. Andrea L. Paiva
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
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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 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
- young adults
- substance misuse
- mental health
- prevention
- harm reduction
- cannabis
- depression
- college students
- health disparities
- community-based research
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