Submissions | Advances in Psychopathology and Mental Health Interventions

Author Guidelines

Scope and Priorities

Advances in Psychopathology and Mental Health Interventions considers manuscripts that advance evidence, practice, policy, or training in mental health and allied disciplines. The journal welcomes work from clinical psychology, psychiatry, psychiatric social work, psychiatric nursing, public mental health, neuropsychology, rehabilitation, addiction, child and adolescent mental health, geriatric mental health, community mental health, and digital mental health.

Manuscripts should be written clearly for a broad mental-health readership and should demonstrate clear relevance to clinical practice, public mental health, service delivery, policy, or training, particularly in India and comparable settings. Tables, figures, flow diagrams, and supplementary materials should be used wherever they improve clarity and transparency.

Article Categories

The journal considers the following article types:

Original Research
Randomized Controlled Trial
Systematic Review / Meta-analysis
Scoping Review
Brief Report / Short Communication
Methods / Measurement Paper
Case Report / Case Series
Perspectives / Commentaries
Editorials
Letters to the Editor

Required Submission Files

Authors must upload the relevant files according to the article type. A Cover Page / Title Page is required for all submissions. The Main Manuscript File should be anonymized for masked peer review.

Declarations may be submitted either as a separate Declarations File or included within the manuscript immediately after the References section under the appropriate declaration headings.

Article Type	Word Limit (excluding abstract, references, tables, and figures unless otherwise stated)	Required Files	Optional / Where Applicable Files	Reporting Checklist Required
Original Research	Up to 6,000 words	1. Cover Page / Title Page 2. Anonymized Main Manuscript File 3. Declarations File or Declarations section after References	Supplementary tables, figures, dataset/code availability note, study protocol, permission letters for reused material	STROBE for observational studies; CONSORT for randomized trials; STARD for diagnostic accuracy studies
Randomized Controlled Trial	Up to 6,000 words	1. Cover Page / Title Page 2. Anonymized Main Manuscript File 3. Declarations File or Declarations section after References 4. Trial Registration Details	CONSORT flow diagram, trial protocol, statistical analysis plan, supplementary intervention materials	CONSORT checklist
Systematic Review / Meta-analysis	Up to 7,000 words	1. Cover Page / Title Page 2. Anonymized Main Manuscript File 3. PRISMA Flow Diagram 4. Declarations File or Declarations section after References	Review protocol, PROSPERO/OSF registration details, full search strategy, risk-of-bias tables, GRADE evidence profile, supplementary extraction sheets	PRISMA 2020 checklist
Scoping Review	Up to 7,000 words	1. Cover Page / Title Page 2. Anonymized Main Manuscript File 3. PRISMA Flow Diagram 4. Declarations File or Declarations section after References	Protocol registration details, full search strategy, data charting form, supplementary evidence tables	PRISMA-ScR checklist
Brief Report / Short Communication	Up to 2,500 words	1. Cover Page / Title Page 2. Anonymized Main Manuscript File 3. Declarations File or Declarations section after References	Supplementary tables/figures, brief dataset statement, ethics approval and consent details if human participants are involved	Relevant checklist depending on design, such as STROBE, CONSORT, STARD, or CARE
Methods / Measurement Paper	Up to 5,000 words	1. Cover Page / Title Page 2. Anonymized Main Manuscript File 3. Declarations File or Declarations section after References	Scale/instrument copy, scoring instructions, supplementary validity/reliability tables, permission documents, codebook	COSMIN recommended for measurement studies; STARD if diagnostic accuracy is assessed
Case Report / Case Series	Up to 3,000 words	1. Cover Page / Title Page 2. Anonymized Main Manuscript File 3. Written Consent to Publish 4. De-identification Statement 5. Declarations File or Declarations section after References	Clinical images, timelines, supplementary clinical material, permission letters where required	CARE checklist
Perspectives / Commentaries	Up to 3,000 words	1. Cover Page / Title Page 2. Anonymized Main Manuscript File 3. Declarations File or Declarations section after References	Tables, figures, policy documents, supplementary notes	Usually not required, unless the article includes empirical, review, or case material
Editorials	Up to 2,000 words	1. Cover Page / Title Page 2. Main Text File 3. Declarations File or Declarations section after References	Tables, figures, permission letters if copyrighted material is reproduced	Usually not required
Letters to the Editor	Up to 1,000 words	1. Cover Page / Title Page 2. Main Text File 3. Declarations File or Declarations section after References	Permission letter, if commenting on copyrighted material or reproducing figures/tables	Usually not required

Declarations File

For all submissions, authors must provide relevant ethical, administrative, and transparency statements. These declarations may be uploaded as a separate Declarations File or included in the manuscript immediately after the References section.

The Declarations File should include the following headings, where applicable:

Trial Registration Details
Ethics Approval Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Conflict of Interest Declaration
Funding Statement
Role of the Funding Source
Data Sharing Statement
Contributors Statement
Acknowledgements
Use of AI / AI-Assisted Tools
Prior Dissemination Statement, if applicable

For randomized controlled trials, trial registration details are mandatory. For human participant research, ethics approval and informed consent statements are mandatory. If any section is not applicable, authors should write “Not applicable” under that heading.

Use of AI Tools

The primary or partial use of AI tools and/or LLMs that produce content such as references, text, images, or any other content that directly impacts the research methodology, analysis, results and/or conclusions must be disclosed upon submission so the editorial team can evaluate the content generated. Authors should cite original sources, rather than GenAI tools as primary sources within the references. It may be appropriate to cite GenAI tools when they have been used to create images or visualization as representative contributions rather than original. Understanding that LLMs may have generated false content, including getting facts wrong or generating citations that don’t exist, authors must take steps to verify the accuracy of all outputs and check the original sources.
Authors should consider the following as appropriate uses for GenAI in research publishing that require disclosure within the methods or acknowledgements: Assistance with literature review or compilation of relevant sources Translation of materials as part of the research process Using software or code generated by AI to undertake additional research
Assistance in research data visualization Generation of representative illustrations or infographics Code enhanced or checked for errors by AI assistance
Assistance with compilation of references

Peer Review Policy

The journal follows a single-blind peer review policy. Authors’ identities are known to the reviewers, but reviewers’ identities are not disclosed to the authors.

All manuscripts considered suitable after initial editorial screening are normally sent to at least two independent reviewers with relevant expertise. Reviewers assess the manuscript for originality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, clarity of presentation, relevance to the journal’s scope, and contribution to mental health scholarship and practice.

The Editor-in-Chief or handling editor makes the final editorial decision based on reviewers’ comments, editorial assessment, and the manuscript’s suitability for the journal. Possible decisions include acceptance, minor revision, major revision, resubmission after substantial revision, or rejection.

Authors are required to submit:

A separate Cover Page / Title Page containing the manuscript title, article type, author names, affiliations, ORCID iDs, corresponding author details, acknowledgements, funding details, conflict of interest declaration, contributor statement, and other administrative information.
A Main Manuscript File containing the manuscript title, abstract, keywords, main text, references, tables, figures, and declarations as applicable.

Because the journal follows single-blind review, the main manuscript file does not need to be anonymized. However, authors should ensure that all information provided is accurate, transparent, and complete.

Manuscript Preparation and Formatting

Manuscripts should follow these minimum formatting requirements:

Language: English, clear and professional
File format: DOCX or LaTeX preferred
Text should be double-spaced
Cumulative line numbers must be included
Use page numbers
Use simple headings and avoid unnecessary auto-formatting
Use standard fonts and consistent formatting throughout
Use consistent terminology, numbers, units, and abbreviations
Use non-proprietary drug names where relevant
Tables and figures should be clear, numbered, and cited in the text
References must be complete, accurate, and consistently formatted

There is no strict word limit for most article types; however, manuscripts should be written as succinctly as possible.

Abstract and Keywords

All manuscripts, except where not required for editorials or letters, should include an abstract.

The abstract should not exceed 250 words and should be placed on a separate page in the manuscript file.

The journal generally follows APA-style abstract formatting, and therefore an unstructured abstract is acceptable for most submissions.

For randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, scoping reviews, and other clinically oriented research articles, authors may use a structured abstract where appropriate, with headings such as Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusions. However, structured abstracts are not mandatory unless specifically requested by the editor.

For randomized controlled trials, trial registration details should be included at the end of the abstract where applicable.

After the abstract, authors should provide up to five keywords or brief phrases.

Recommended Manuscript Headings

Original Research Articles

Title
Abstract and Keywords
Introduction
Methods
- Study Design
- Study Setting
- Participants
- Data Collection
- Outcome Measures
- Statistical Analysis
Results
Discussion
- Principal Findings
- Comparison with Existing Literature
- Strengths and Limitations
- Implications
Conclusions
References
Declarations
Tables and Figures

Randomized Controlled Trials

Title
Abstract and Keywords
Introduction
Methods
- Trial Design
- Participants
- Randomization and Allocation
- Interventions
- Outcomes
- Sample Size
- Statistical Analysis
Results
- Participant Flow
- Baseline Characteristics
- Primary and Secondary Outcomes
- Adverse Events
Discussion
Conclusions
References
Declarations
Tables and Figures

Systematic Reviews, Meta-Analyses, and Scoping Reviews

Title
Abstract and Keywords
Introduction
Methods
- Review Question
- Eligibility Criteria
- Information Sources
- Search Strategy
- Study Selection
- Data Extraction
- Risk of Bias Assessment, if applicable
- Data Synthesis
Results
- Study Selection
- Study Characteristics
- Main Findings
Discussion
- Summary of Evidence
- Strengths and Limitations
Conclusions
References
Declarations
Supplementary Materials, if applicable

Case Reports / Case Series

Title
Abstract and Keywords
Introduction
Case Presentation / Case Descriptions
Discussion
Conclusions
References
Declarations
Tables and Figures

Perspectives / Commentaries / Editorials / Letters

Title
Main Text
References, if applicable
Declarations

References and Citation Accuracy

References should follow a consistent academic style, preferably APA 7th edition, unless otherwise specified by the editor.

Authors are strongly encouraged to use a reference management software such as Zotero, EndNote, Mendeley, or another standard citation manager to prepare and verify citations and reference lists.

Authors must ensure that:

Every in-text citation appears in the reference list.
Every reference in the reference list is cited in the manuscript text.
Extra uncited references are removed before submission.
References are listed alphabetically.
DOI links should be included wherever available.
Data sets, software, program code, scales, manuals, and other methods used in the study should be cited in the text and listed in the references where appropriate.
Citations and references are checked carefully after using any citation manager, because authors remain responsible for reference accuracy.

Failure to match in-text citations with the reference list may result in return of the manuscript before peer review.

Tables

Tables should be prepared using the table function in Word or an equivalent editable format. Authors should not create tables using spaces, tabs, or images.

Each table should have:

A table number
A concise title
Clear column headings
Explanatory footnotes, where necessary
Citation in the manuscript text

Tables should be editable and should not be submitted as screenshots.

Figures and Images

Figures should be clear, professionally prepared, and cited in the manuscript text.

Preferred file formats include:

TIFF or JPG for image-based figures
EPS or other suitable vector format for vector-based figures

Images downloaded from web pages are generally not acceptable for publication unless appropriate permission and quality standards are met.

Multipanel figures should be assembled into a single figure file and labelled clearly as A, B, C, etc.

Recommended minimum resolution:

Colour and halftone images: 300 DPI
Black-and-white line art and grayscale images: 600 DPI

Authors must ensure that figures remain interpretable in both colour and grayscale formats.

Equations

Mathematical equations should be prepared using a standard equation editor or MathType where possible. Equations should be editable and should not be inserted as low-resolution images.

Simple formulas that can be written using regular text and symbols may be included directly in the manuscript text.

Computer Code and Software

If computer code is central to the manuscript, authors should submit the runnable source code as supplementary material wherever possible.

Code included within the manuscript should be presented clearly and consistently. Longer code segments should preferably be submitted as a separate supplementary file to avoid formatting errors during production.

All software, packages, scripts, and code used for analysis should be appropriately cited where relevant.

Supplementary Files

Supplementary files may include:

Reporting checklists
Flow diagrams
Search strategies
Study protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Supplementary tables and figures
Data extraction sheets
Risk-of-bias assessments
GRADE evidence profiles
Permission letters
Instruments, scales, or scoring manuals, where permitted
Data availability or code availability documents
Computer code or scripts
Extended appendices

Supplementary material should be clearly labelled and cited in the manuscript text.

Reporting Guidelines and Checklists

Authors must follow the appropriate reporting guideline for their study design and upload the relevant checklist as a supplementary file, preferably with page references.

Study Design	Required / Recommended Guideline
Randomized controlled trial	CONSORT
Systematic review / meta-analysis	PRISMA 2020
Scoping review	PRISMA-ScR
Observational study	STROBE
Diagnostic accuracy study	STARD 2015
Case report / case series	CARE
Measurement / scale validation study	COSMIN recommended; STARD 2015 if diagnostic accuracy is assessed

Authors may also consult the EQUATOR Network to identify the most appropriate reporting guideline for their manuscript type.

Research Integrity, Originality, and Prior Dissemination

Submissions must be original work, not previously published, and not under consideration elsewhere.

Prior presentation as an abstract or poster and posting as a preprint may be acceptable, but this must be transparently disclosed at submission.

Authors must disclose prior dissemination of the data, analysis, or narrative interpretation of the work, including conference presentation, preprint posting, academic networking platforms, institutional repositories, theses, dissertations, working papers, or public websites.

The journal may screen submissions for plagiarism, duplicate publication, image manipulation, citation irregularities, and other research integrity concerns.

Concurrent submission of the same manuscript to another journal is not permitted.

Authorship, Contributions, and Accountability

Authorship should follow ICMJE criteria. All listed authors must approve the final submitted version and accept accountability for the work.

A contributors statement must be included, preferably using CRediT-style author contribution roles.

CRediT roles include:

Conceptualization
Data curation
Formal analysis
Funding acquisition
Investigation
Methodology
Project administration
Resources
Software
Supervision
Validation
Visualization
Writing – original draft
Writing – review and editing

Authors may claim more than one contributor role, and the same role may be assigned to more than one author.

Changes to authorship after submission are discouraged and will be considered only with written agreement from all authors and editorial approval.

Ethics, Consent, and Permissions

Human participant studies must clearly state:

Name of the ethics committee or institutional review board
Ethics approval number, where applicable
Date of approval, where available
Informed consent procedures
Special safeguards for vulnerable populations, where applicable

Authors must state that they complied with appropriate ethical standards in the treatment of human or animal participants.

For case reports, case series, clinical images, or detailed clinical descriptions, written consent to publish is required whenever there is any possibility of identification. De-identification alone should not be considered a substitute for consent.

If authors reuse copyrighted tables, figures, photographs, test materials, stimuli, scales, manuals, images, or substantial text, written permission must be obtained and submitted with the manuscript.

The journal may decline to publish any material whose copyright or permission status is unclear.

Conflicts of Interest, Funding, and Role of Funder

All authors must provide a declaration of interests. Authors must also declare all sources of funding.

Authors should disclose financial, academic, institutional, personal, or professional relationships that may influence, or appear to influence, the conduct or reporting of the work.

For funded studies, authors should describe the role of the funding source in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, and the decision to submit for publication. If the funder had no role, this should be clearly stated.

Data Sharing and Transparency

For research articles, authors must include a data sharing statement.

The statement should specify:

Whether data will be shared
What data, code, materials, or documents will be shared
When the data will be available
Where the data will be available
Conditions of access, such as proposal review or data use agreement

If data cannot be shared due to ethical, legal, privacy, proprietary, or institutional restrictions, this should be clearly explained.

Authors are expected to retain data and relevant study materials for a reasonable period after publication, subject to institutional, legal, and ethical requirements.

Use of AI / AI-Assisted Tools

If generative AI or AI-assisted tools were used, authors must disclose this transparently.

The disclosure should include:

Name and version of the tool, where available
Purpose for which the tool was used
Sections of the manuscript affected
Prompts or parameters, where relevant and feasible

AI tools must not be listed as authors. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, validity, and integrity of the submitted work.

Academic Writing and Language Editing

Authors are encouraged to seek academic writing or English-language editing support when needed. Use of language editing services is optional and does not guarantee peer review, acceptance, or publication.

Authors remain responsible for the final content, accuracy, originality, and integrity of the manuscript.

Publishing Platform

This journal uses the Open Journal Systems platform developed by PKP. More information about the publishing system and editorial workflow is available through OJS/PKP documentation.