Spirituality, Mental Health and Education in the Spanish-Speaking World: Interdisciplinary Perspectives

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to the Special Issue entitled “Spirituality, Mental Health and Education in the Spanish-Speaking World: Interdisciplinary Perspectives” published by the prestigious journal Religions.

Faith is the set of beliefs, whether personal or collective, which explicitly or implicitly form the backbone of a human community. They are the source of trust and a sense of belonging that shape both religions and other types of group bonds. Through convictions, beliefs, creeds and dogmas, they establish common principles, ideologies and worldviews, based on explanations that are as much mythical or supernatural as they are historical or academic.

The Mind is the set of conscious and unconscious mental activities and processes, particularly of a cognitive nature, which enables us to interact with the environment in which we live. Understood as the intellectual power of the soul, it enables us both to understand and to solve problems. Its health is vital for both the individual and society.

Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages on the planet. It is the official language in more than 20 countries spanning several continents. More than 500 million people speak it as their mother tongue and over 600 million can communicate in Spanish. More than a single culture, the Spanish-speaking world is a vast network of cultures, each with its own history and worldview, connected by a common language.This blend of unity and diversity is one of its defining characteristics

This Special Issue aims to showcase recent research on religiosity, spirituality and mental health from an  educational and multidisciplinary perspective within the Spanish-speaking world. It seeks to bridge the classic divide between faith and reason through scientific methodology, adopting the broadest possible perspective focused on the fields of physical and mental health, well-being and the fight against illness.

This Special Issue accepts original research articles and reviews. Areas of research may include, amongst others, the following:

• Psychology of religion and spirituality: The relationship between religiosity/spirituality and psychological well-being. The impact of religious practice on anxiety, depression, resilience and a sense of purpose.
• Mental health and spiritual practices: Spirituality-based interventions (mindfulness, meditation, prayer). Spirituality in clinical contexts (psychotherapy, pastoral care, palliative care). Religion and the prevention of suicide or risky behaviours. The influence of religious communities on collective mental health.
• Education, values and holistic development: Educational programmes integrating socio-emotional and spiritual development. Teacher training in addressing the spiritual dimension of pupils.
• Sociology of religion and health: Religiosity in contemporary societies and its relationship with mental health.
• Secularisation vs. new spiritualities. Religion in contexts of social vulnerability.
• Ethics, philosophy and the meaning of life: The search for meaning, transcendence and mental health. Ethical dilemmas in psychological intervention with a religious dimension. Humanism, secular spirituality and well-being.
• Neuroscience and spirituality: Neurobiological bases of religious experience. Effects of meditation and prayer on the brain. Consciousness, emotions and transcendence.

Interested authors are invited to submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200–300 words summarizing their intended contribution prior to submitting a full manuscript. Please send these proposals to the Guest Editors, Prof. Dr. Rafael López Cordero (raloco@ugr.es) and Prof. Dr. María del Carmen Olmos Gómez at (mcolmos@ugr.es), or to the Assistant Editor, Ms. Evelyn Zeng (evelyn.zeng@mdpi.com) at Religions. Submitted abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors to ensure they align with the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo a formal double-blind peer review process.

Deadline for abstract submission: 31 October 2026

Deadline for full manuscript submission: 15 March 2027

We look forward to your valuable contribution to this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Rafael López-Cordero
Prof. Dr. María del Carmen Olmos-Gómez
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 double-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions 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 1800 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.

• faith
• psychology
• religiosity
• spirituality
• mental health
• education
• well-being
• beliefs