The Journal of Mental Health and Psychiatry (JMHP) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of editorial integrity, peer review, and scientific publishing. Editors play a vital role in ensuring the journal’s credibility, transparency, and academic excellence. This information provides detailed guidance for editors on their responsibilities, workflows, and ethical obligations.

1. Role of Editors

Editors at JMHP are entrusted with overseeing the scholarly quality and ethical integrity of published work. Their responsibilities include:

• Managing the peer review process fairly and efficiently.
• Ensuring manuscripts align with the scope and aims of JMHP.
• Making impartial editorial decisions based on scientific merit.
• Upholding the principles of transparency, fairness, and confidentiality.
• Supporting the mission of JMHP to promote global, inclusive, and impactful scholarship in psychiatry and mental health.

2. Editorial Responsibilities

a. Initial Assessment

• Review each submission to determine whether it fits the journal’s scope.
• Conduct a preliminary check for novelty, relevance, and ethical compliance.
• Verify adherence to author guidelines (formatting, references, ethical approval).
• Use plagiarism detection tools to ensure originality.

b. Peer Review Management

• Select qualified reviewers with expertise in the relevant field.
• Ensure a double-blind peer review process is maintained.
• Monitor review progress and send timely reminders when necessary.
• Evaluate the quality of reviews and provide additional guidance if needed.

c. Decision-Making

• Base decisions solely on the manuscript’s scientific quality, originality, and contribution to the field.
• Provide authors with constructive feedback, regardless of the outcome.
• Possible decisions include: Accept, Minor Revision, Major Revision, or Reject.
• Ensure decisions are free from personal, financial, or institutional bias.

d. Ethical Oversight

• Address any concerns related to plagiarism, data fabrication, duplicate publication, or authorship disputes.
• Seek clarification from authors when ethical concerns arise.
• Refer serious cases to the Editorial Board and Publisher for resolution, following COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines.

3. Communication with Authors and Reviewers

• Maintain professional and respectful communication at all times.
• Provide timely updates to authors about the status of their manuscripts.
• Ensure reviewers’ identities remain confidential.
• Acknowledge reviewers’ contributions and provide feedback when necessary.

4. Editorial Independence

Editors must exercise full independence in decision-making without influence from commercial, political, or personal interests. The final responsibility for acceptance or rejection lies with the Editor-in-Chief or designated handling editor.

5. Conflict of Interest

• Editors must declare conflicts of interest related to submitted manuscripts.
• Editors should not handle manuscripts where they have personal, financial, or professional ties with the authors.
• In cases of conflict, the manuscript must be reassigned to another editor.

6. Confidentiality

• All manuscripts, reviews, and editorial discussions must be treated as confidential documents.
• Information must not be disclosed to anyone outside the editorial process.

7. Editorial Workflow

1. Submission Received → Initial screening by Editor.
2. Reviewer Assignment → Selection of 2–3 qualified reviewers.
3. Review Process → Reviewers evaluate and submit recommendations.
4. Editorial Evaluation → Editor considers reviews and provides decision.
5. Author Notification → Constructive feedback and decision letter sent.
6. Revision Handling → Editor oversees resubmitted manuscripts.
7. Final Decision → Acceptance or rejection confirmed by Editor-in-Chief.
8. Production Stage → Manuscript forwarded to the publishing team.

8. Continuous Improvement

• Editors are encouraged to stay updated on emerging research trends in psychiatry and mental health.
• Participation in editorial board meetings, workshops, and training sessions is recommended.
• Suggestions for improving journal processes are welcomed and valued.

9. Ethical Publishing Commitment

JMHP follows COPE guidelines for handling ethical issues. Editors are expected to actively support integrity in publishing by:

• Promoting diversity, equity, and inclusivity in editorial decisions.
• Supporting transparent reporting of research methods and findings.
• Protecting the rights of authors, reviewers, and readers.

10. Contact and Support

Editors may contact the Editorial Office or Editor-in-Chief for guidance on complex cases, ethical dilemmas, or operational challenges. Collaborative decision-making is encouraged when dealing with sensitive issues.

Editors are the custodians of scientific quality and integrity at JMHP. Their role extends beyond managing manuscripts to shaping the journal’s reputation as a trusted source of knowledge in mental health and psychiatry. Through diligence, fairness, and commitment, editors help JMHP advance its mission to improve mental health outcomes worldwide.