Aims & Scope
Journal of Women's Mental Health publishes research examining the psychological, behavioral, and social factors influencing mental health outcomes in women and girls across the lifespan, with emphasis on measurement, mechanisms, and population-level patterns.
Gender Differences
Psychological Assessment
Behavioral Mechanisms
Social Determinants
Lifespan Development
Core Research Domains
Psychological Measurement & Assessment
- Validation of mental health screening instruments for women
- Gender-specific psychometric properties of assessment tools
- Cross-cultural adaptation of psychological measures
- Measurement invariance across female populations
- Development of novel assessment methodologies
- Reliability and validity studies in women's mental health
Typical Fit:
Psychometric validation of a depression screening tool in postpartum women across three cultural contexts, examining factor structure and measurement equivalence.
Behavioral Mechanisms & Processes
- Cognitive processes underlying anxiety and mood patterns
- Behavioral responses to stress across reproductive stages
- Decision-making patterns in women with mental health conditions
- Attention and memory biases in psychological disorders
- Emotion regulation strategies and their effectiveness
- Behavioral markers of mental health risk
Typical Fit:
Experimental study examining attention bias toward threat cues in women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder using eye-tracking methodology.
Social & Environmental Determinants
- Impact of social support networks on mental health outcomes
- Socioeconomic status and psychological well-being patterns
- Cultural norms and their influence on mental health behaviors
- Gender role expectations and psychological distress
- Workplace factors and women's mental health
- Community-level predictors of mental health disparities
Typical Fit:
Longitudinal analysis of how workplace gender discrimination patterns predict anxiety symptoms in professional women, controlling for individual-level factors.
Reproductive & Hormonal Influences
- Psychological changes across menstrual cycle phases
- Behavioral patterns during reproductive transitions
- Cognitive function during pregnancy and postpartum
- Menopause-related psychological changes
- Premenstrual syndrome and mood regulation
- Hormonal contraception and psychological outcomes
Typical Fit:
Prospective daily diary study examining the relationship between menstrual cycle phase and cognitive performance in women with and without PMDD.
Secondary Focus Areas
Cross-Disciplinary Integration
- Biobehavioral models of women's mental health
- Neuropsychological assessment approaches
- Health psychology perspectives on mental well-being
- Developmental psychology across female lifespan
- Social psychology of gender and mental health
Methodological Innovations
- Novel statistical approaches for longitudinal data
- Ecological momentary assessment methods
- Machine learning applications in prediction models
- Mixed-methods research designs
- Meta-analytic and systematic review methodologies
Population-Level Patterns
- Epidemiological studies of mental health prevalence
- Health disparities research across demographic groups
- Geographic variation in mental health outcomes
- Minority stress and psychological well-being
- Intersectionality in mental health research
Risk & Protective Factors
- Identification of psychological vulnerability markers
- Resilience factors in women's mental health
- Early life experiences and adult outcomes
- Trauma exposure and psychological sequelae
- Coping strategies and adaptation processes
Emerging Research Areas
Article Types & Editorial Priorities
Priority 1: Fast-Track Review (14-21 days)
- Original Research Articles
- Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
- Methodological Papers
- Measurement Development Studies
- Large-Scale Epidemiological Studies
Priority 2: Standard Review (28-35 days)
- Short Communications
- Data Notes & Replication Studies
- Perspectives & Commentary
- Brief Reports
- Registered Reports
Rarely Considered (Requires Pre-Submission Inquiry)
- Case Studies (unless exceptional methodological contribution)
- Opinion Pieces
- Narrative Reviews (systematic reviews preferred)
- Conference Proceedings
Editorial Standards & Requirements
Reporting Guidelines (Mandatory)
- CONSORT for randomized trials
- STROBE for observational studies
- PRISMA for systematic reviews
- STARD for diagnostic accuracy studies
- ARRIVE for animal research (if applicable)
- EQUATOR Network compliance required
Data & Transparency
- Data availability statement required
- Open data encouraged (repository links)
- Analysis code sharing recommended
- Pre-registration encouraged (OSF, AsPredicted)
- Materials sharing via OSF or similar platforms
Ethics & Integrity
- IRB/Ethics committee approval required
- Informed consent documentation
- Conflict of interest disclosure
- Funding source transparency
- COPE guidelines adherence
- Plagiarism screening (iThenticate)
Preprint Policy
- Preprints accepted (arXiv, bioRxiv, PsyArXiv)
- Must disclose preprint DOI at submission
- No embargo on preprint posting
- Preprint version can be updated post-acceptance
- Final published version supersedes preprint
Decision Metrics & Transparency
21
Days to First Decision
32%
Acceptance Rate
45
Days to Publication
Open
Access Model
Questions About Scope Fit?
Unsure if your research aligns with our focus? Contact our editorial team for pre-submission inquiries.
