Mental Health Care among At-Risk Populations in the Context of COVID-19

Dear Colleagues,

The ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had unprecedented and devastating effects globally. The mental health effects of COVID-19 have been profound and are still emerging. The long term impacts of social isolation, job and economic insecurity, experiences of illness and bereavement, physical distancing, and disrupted access to usual health and mental healthcare continue to reverberate among populations. While the effects of COVID-19 are felt globally, the mental health consequences may be more pronounced in low and middle-income settings and among at-risk populations that are at higher risk of experiencing negative mental health effects without adequate access to care. Healthcare workers and others on the frontlines, essential workers, vulnerable groups such as people experiencing homelessness, migrants, and people living with existing mental health and substance use conditions, women, sexual minorities, children, the elderly, Indigenous communities and victims of domestic violence may be at higher risk of negative mental health impacts and may experience unique barriers in accessing care. It is essential to understand the needs of these populations and to identify specific strategies to improve equity in access to mental health services.

Researchers, practitioners, and educators are invited to submit manuscripts related to any area of mental health care among at-risk populations in the context of COVID-19. Papers can focus on community-based interventions and/or policy. We will consider original quantitative and qualitative research articles (max 4000 words, excluding references and tables), as well as review articles. We also invite critical reflections and commentaries regarding the methodological and ethical challenges of conducting healthcare research and/or providing mental health services among at-risk populations. We encourage papers on research that has been conducted in partnership with people with lived experience. The papers do not have to focus on COVID-19 specifically; reflections on the implications of the work in the current contest are also welcome.

Dr. Mellissa Withers
Dr. Jill Murphy
Dr. Ishtar Govia
Dr. Matias Irarrazaval
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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.