Pezzoli, Patrizia;
Zhai, Weili;
Marsh, Joan;
Viding, Essi;
(2024)
Inclusiveness in mental health research: a survey of attitudes, awareness, and actions among journal editors.
European Science Editing
, 50
, Article e114702. 10.3897/ese.2024.e114702.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Improving inclusiveness in mental health research merits attention as we seek to reduce inequalities in mental health. Academic journals can promote inclusiveness through editorial practices related to the selection of content and the composition of journal editorial boards. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the attitudes, awareness, and actions of journal editors con-cerning inclusiveness in mental health research and editorial practices. METHODS: We surveyed 74 chief and senior editors, representing 55 prominent journals in neuroscience, psychiatry, and psychology (2021 impact factor M = 8.04, SD = 10.76). RESULTS: Most respondents (74–99%) acknowledged the importance of inclusiveness in mental health research, and a majority (62–78%) were familiar with existing guide-lines. Half or fewer of the journals (49–50%) had policies for selecting content that is diverse, and 20% had policies regarding inclusion of individuals with lived experi-ence of mental health challenges. Well over half the journals (57–72%) had policies to widen diversity among their editorial boards and roughly half (43–53%) among peer reviewers, although only a few (18–23%) included among their editors or peer review-ers individuals with lived experience of dealing with mental health challenges. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlighted an intention-action gap, with positive attitudes and awareness but limited editorial practices promoting inclusiveness in mental health research. Inclusion of individuals with lived experience emerged as an area in particular need of improvement. We discuss potential strategies that journals might consider to foster inclusiveness, such as diversity training, publication checklists, and infrastructure that supports participatory approaches.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Inclusiveness in mental health research: a survey of attitudes, awareness, and actions among journal editors |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.3897/ese.2024.e114702 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.3897/ese.2024.e114702 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. |
| Keywords: | Mental health research, journal policies on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), lived experience in mental health research, intention-action gap, gender, race and ethnicity reporting |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences > Clinical, Edu and Hlth Psychology |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10192061 |
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