Improving Health and Mental Wellness in Indigenous Communities
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 September 2025 | Viewed by 497
Special Issue Editor
Interests: health literacy; community-based participatory research; American Indian populations
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The inherent strength of Indigenous cultures and communities is that these communities contain all that is essential for ensuring health and well-being. However, colonization, systemic marginalization, and intergenerational trauma have contributed to the significant health inequities that challenge Indigenous populations today. Addressing these challenges requires a holistic approach that centers traditional knowledge, community-driven health programs, and culturally sensitive healthcare practices. Indigenous languages, ceremonies, and spiritual beliefs promote a sense of belonging and holistic health that encompass physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions. Strong cultural connections have been shown to enhance mental wellness, mitigate the effects of intergenerational trauma, and elevate self-determination in health. By centering cultural values and knowledge throughout approaches to health promotion, Indigenous communities can improve health outcomes and restore balance to individuals and their broader communities. This Special Issue seeks to explore innovative strategies to improve health and mental wellness in Indigenous communities. Emphasizing community-engaged and emergent Indigenous methodologies, the aim of this Issue is to highlight interdisciplinary research and success stories that promote self-determination, health, and well-being. Submissions are encouraged from Indigenous researchers and those working with communities focused on health and wellness.
Dr. Vanessa Simonds
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.
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
- indigenous health equity
- mental wellness in indigenous communities
- culturally based interventions
- community driven
- participatory research
- intergenerational trauma
- decolonizing health and medicine
- indigenous methodology
- holistic wellness approaches
- indigenous-led health initiatives
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.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
