Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health

Abstract submission deadline

31 December 2026

Manuscript submission deadline

31 March 2027

Viewed by

7454

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

Substance use disorder (SUD) continues to be a critical global public health challenge, exerting profound and far-reaching effects on mental health, individuals, families, and entire communities. The complex, bidirectional relationship between substance use and mental health disorders drives heightened rates of morbidity and mortality. While awareness and research in this field have expanded, significant gaps remain in prevention, early detection, access to treatment, timely intervention, and integrated models of care.

Healthcare professionals stand at the forefront of addressing these multifaceted and interrelated conditions. Pharmacists, physicians, nurses, psychologists, social workers, counselors, and community health workers each play a vital role in screening, diagnosis, treatment, harm reduction, recovery support, and advocacy. Yet, they routinely encounter significant obstacles such as limited resources, insufficient staffing, and fragmented healthcare systems. There is an urgent need for robust, globally representative research to guide evidence-based interventions and sustainable approaches to care. We invite submissions that highlight the diverse and evolving roles of healthcare professionals, aiming to enhance their visibility and optimize SUD and mental health care delivery across various settings.

Aim of the Topic

This Topic seeks to advance the global understanding of SUD and its profound impact on mental health, emphasizing the experiences, perspectives, roles, and unique challenges faced by frontline healthcare professionals. We aim to showcase groundbreaking research, pioneering clinical practices, effective interventions, and actionable policy insights that can enhance prevention, treatment, recovery, and the successful reintegration of individuals into society, supporting sustained progress worldwide.

Scope and Topics of Interest

We welcome original research articles, comprehensive reviews, insightful case studies, thoughtful commentaries, and other scholarly contributions that address, but are not limited to, the following topics:

• Epidemiology and global burden of SUD and co-occurring mental health conditions;
• Integrated models of care for SUD and mental health disorders;
• Frontline healthcare professionals’ experiences, competencies, and training needs;
• Screening, early intervention, and prevention strategies in clinical and community settings;
• Health system, policy, and workforce challenges affecting SUD and mental health services;
• Education of students and training of public health professionals;
• Genomic studies in this arena;
• Women with SUD and adolescent health studies;

Types of Submissions

• Original quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods research;
• Commentaries and opinion manuscripts from frontline healthcare professionals;
• Literature reviews, including rapid, Scopus, and Systematic literature reviews and meta-analyses;
• Policy analyses and practice-based evidence;

Dr. Alina Cernasev
Dr. Karen J. Derefinko
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Adolescents adolescents	1.7	1.7	2021	42.3 Days	CHF 1200	Submit
Behavioral Sciences behavsci	3.2	4.1	2011	27.7 Days	CHF 2400	Submit
Brain Sciences brainsci	3.4	6.0	2011	16.8 Days	CHF 2400	Submit
Children children	2.6	4.5	2014	15.4 Days	CHF 2400	Submit
European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education ejihpe	3.7	5.1	2011	27 Days	CHF 1600	Submit
Healthcare healthcare	3.4	5.5	2013	21.5 Days	CHF 2700	Submit
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ijerph	-	9.8	2004	24 Days	CHF 2500	Submit
Psychology International psycholint	-	-	2019	22.1 Days	CHF 1200	Submit

Preprints.org is a multidisciplinary platform offering a preprint service designed to facilitate the early sharing of your research. It supports and empowers your research journey from the very beginning.

MDPI Topics is collaborating with Preprints.org and has established a direct connection between MDPI journals and the platform. Authors are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity by posting their preprints at Preprints.org prior to publication:

1. Share your research immediately: disseminate your ideas prior to publication and establish priority for your work.
2. Safeguard your intellectual contribution: Protect your ideas with a time-stamped preprint that serves as proof of your research timeline.
3. Boost visibility and impact: Increase the reach and influence of your research by making it accessible to a global audience.
4. Gain early feedback: Receive valuable input and insights from peers before submitting to a journal.
5. Ensure broad indexing: Web of Science (Preprint Citation Index), Google Scholar, Crossref, SHARE, PrePubMed, Scilit and Europe PMC.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results

Content type Publication Date

Result details

Normal Extended Compact

Journals

All Behavioral Sciences EJIHPE Healthcare IJERPH Psychology International Adolescents Brain Sciences Children

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Plain Text BibTeX BibTeX (without abstracts) Endnote Endnote (without abstracts) Tab-delimited RIS

Error

Oops... you haven't selected anything for export.

Ok

clear

17 pages, 1123 KB  

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Understanding Youth Suicide Risk Through Changes in Protective Strength Factors

by Saahoon Hong, Eric Kyere, Betty Walton and Hea-Won Kim

Behav. Sci. 2026, 16(8), 1282; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs16081282 - 27 Jul 2026

Viewed by 327

Abstract

Adolescent suicide remains a critical public health concern, with rates continuing to rise globally. This study examined the role of strength development in mitigating suicide risk among youth receiving behavioral health services. Utilizing administrative data from a Midwestern state’s behavioral health authority, the [...] Read more.

Adolescent suicide remains a critical public health concern, with rates continuing to rise globally. This study examined the role of strength development in mitigating suicide risk among youth receiving behavioral health services. Utilizing administrative data from a Midwestern state’s behavioral health authority, the study analyzed 391 adolescents aged 13–19 years (M = 16.34, SD = 1.51), including 244 girls (62.4%) and 147 boys (37.6%), who presented with recent suicidal ideation or behavior. Strength indicators included family strengths, interpersonal skills, optimism, educational support, vocational skills, talents and interests, spiritual or religious strengths, community involvement, relationship permanence, youth involvement in care, and natural supports. Latent Profile Transition Analyses identified two distinct strength groups: “usable strengths,” representing readily accessible protective factors, and “buildable strengths,” representing strengths requiring further development. Findings indicated that adolescents who transitioned from buildable to usable strengths experienced significantly lower suicide risk. Youth who maintained usable strengths across treatment also demonstrated substantially lower odds of suicide risk. Longer treatment duration was associated with lower suicide risk, whereas shorter treatment stays corresponded with elevated risk. Logistic regression analyses confirmed that maintaining or developing strengths related to social relationships, community connections, and supportive environments served as significant protective factors. These findings underscore the importance of integrating strength-based, relationship-centered, and community-informed approaches into behavioral health services to support resilience and reduce suicide risk among adolescents. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health)

►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

7 pages, 186 KB  

Open AccessCase Report

Cariprazine in First-Episode Psychosis with Comorbid Cannabis Use: A Case Series of Eight Patients from Two Greek Early Intervention Units

by Evangelos Ntouros, Despina-Christina Partsanaki, Stefanos Dimitrakopoulos, Elena Ioanna Nazlidou, Vasilis-Ilias Spatharas, Venetsanos Mavreas and Vasilis P. Bozikas

Brain Sci. 2026, 16(8), 787; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16080787 - 26 Jul 2026

Viewed by 264

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Cannabis use is prevalent in first-episode psychosis (FEP) and is associated with poor clinical outcomes. Cariprazine, a dopamine D3/D2 partial agonist with preferential D3 affinity, may offer clinical advantages for both psychotic symptoms and comorbid substance use; however, naturalistic data in FEP [...] Read more.

Background/Objectives: Cannabis use is prevalent in first-episode psychosis (FEP) and is associated with poor clinical outcomes. Cariprazine, a dopamine D3/D2 partial agonist with preferential D3 affinity, may offer clinical advantages for both psychotic symptoms and comorbid substance use; however, naturalistic data in FEP patients with active cannabis use are lacking. Methods: We conducted a retrospective naturalistic case series of eight FEP patients with active cannabis use treated with cariprazine for six months across two Greek Early Intervention Units (PNOES Athens and Thessaloniki, EPAPSY). Psychotic symptoms were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) Five-Factor (Marder) model and cannabis use using the Cannabis Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) at baseline and six months. Analyses were descriptive, with exploratory Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Results: At six months, lower mean PANSS scores were observed for positive symptoms (12.88 vs. 9.50), disorganization (11.38 vs. 9.13) and, to a lesser degree, anxiety/depression (9.38 vs. 8.50). Negative symptoms changed little (16.13 vs. 15.00), and hostility was essentially unchanged (10.63 vs. 11.63). Only the reduction in positive symptoms reached nominal significance (p = 0.047; d_z = −1.05), which did not survive correction for multiple comparisons. Cannabis-use frequency decreased in seven of eight participants, with two reporting complete cessation. Conclusions: These preliminary, hypothesis-generating observations suggest that cariprazine may warrant further study in FEP with comorbid cannabis use. The findings cannot be interpreted as evidence of efficacy given the small, uncontrolled, diagnostically heterogeneous sample. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health)

►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Plain Text BibTeX BibTeX (without abstracts) Endnote Endnote (without abstracts) Tab-delimited RIS

 

Error

Oops... you haven't selected anything for export.

Ok

clear

Displaying articles 1-2