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Call for Papers – Intersectionality and Discriminatory Practices Within Mental Health Care

Discriminatory practices within mental health care based on structural systems of oppression, such as racism, oppression of gender and sexual diversity and classism, are a barrier to social and health care justice. They thus constitute a pressing ethical, legal and social concern.

Intersectionality has emerged as a concept, method, framework, and tool to both analyze and resist structures of oppression. As an analytical tool within critical knowledge projects, it centers the complexity, interdependency, and co-constitution of overlapping systems of oppression. As a practice, intersectionality may be used to inform projects that aim to achieve social justice. Originally developed by Black Feminist grassroot activists, the concept has been welcomed in academic research and has travelled across different disciplines. Intersectionality, both as an analytical and practical tool, faces numerous challenges which we aim to explore. With this call, we aim to gather existing knowledge to bring intersectionality more into practice within mental health care.

To understand the multifaceted and complex structure of oppression and to explore the use of intersectionality as a tool to address structural discrimination, we invite researchers from philosophy, health sciences, social sciences, legal sciences and disability, gender and critical race studies to contribute their perspective to this collection.


TOPICS OF INTEREST:

  • Theory, Philosophy and Ethics of Intersectionality and Discrimination
    • Concept and philosophy of intersectionality
    • Concept and philosophy of discrimination
    • Approaches to intersectional (bio-)medical ethics
    • Development of intersectionality across different disciplines and its use within mental health care
    • Philosophy of social categories and social structures and their role in mental health care
  • Intersectionality and Discriminatory Practices within Mental Health Care
    • Systems of oppression such as racism, (hetero)sexism, ableism, classism, ageism, transphobia, fatphobia, and their role for mental health (care)
    • Intersectionality, stigma and mental health 
    • Methodological approaches to use intersectionality in quantitative and qualitative research within mental health research
  • A Human Rights Perspective on Intersectionality
    • Intersectionality and anti-discrimination legislation 
    • Anti-discrimination, intersectionality and the CRPD
    • Philosophy of human rights, focus mental health
  • Intersectionality as Practice Within Mental Health Care
    • Strategies of anti-discrimination within mental health care
    • Intersectionality as a practice: Intersectionality in psychiatry, counselling, social work, nursing, and therapy
    • Legal strategies to reduce structural discrimination


TENTATIVE TIMELINE:

Manuscript Submission Deadline: March 31, 2023


GUEST EDITOR DETAILS:

Mirjam Faissner, M.D., M.A.
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine 
LWL University Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum
Alexandrinenstr. 1-3, 44791 Bochum, Germany

Anne-Sophie Gaillard, B.A.
Institute for Medical Ethics and History of Medicine 
Ruhr University Bochum
Markstr. 258a, 44799 Bochum, Germany

Amma Yeboah, M.D.
Specialist and Senior Consultant in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
Lecturer in Gender Medicine
Theodor-Heuss-Ring 23, 50668 Cologne, Germany

Jakov Gather, M.D., M.A. 
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine 
LWL University Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum
Alexandrinenstr. 1-3, 44791 Bochum, Germany

Professor Georg Juckel, M.D.
Director of the Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine 
LWL University Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum
Alexandrinenstr. 1-3, 44791 Bochum, Germany


PEER REVIEW PROCESS:

All submitted manuscripts will undergo peer review, and will be reviewed by at two-to-three experts. A thorough check will be completed, and the Guest Editors will check any significant similarity between the manuscript under consideration and any
published paper or submitted manuscripts of which they are aware. In such case, the article will be directly rejected without proceeding further. Guest editors will make all reasonable effort to receive the reviewer’s comments and recommendation on time.

The submitted papers must provide original research that has not been published nor currently under review by other venues. Previously published conference papers should be clearly identified by the authors at the submission stage and an
explanation should be provided about how such papers have been extended to be considered for this special issue (with at least 30% difference from the original works).


SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Paper submissions for the special issue should strictly follow the submission format and guidelines posted at https://peh-med.biomedcentral.com/submission-guidelines. Each manuscript should not exceed 16 pages in length (inclusive of figures and tables).

Manuscripts must be submitted to the journal online system at https://www.editorialmanager.com/pehm/default1.aspx. Authors should select the appropriate Collection Title during the submission step ‘Additional Information’.

Annual Journal Metrics

  • 2022 Citation Impact
    1.9 - 2-year Impact Factor
    2.3 - 5-year Impact Factor
    0.999 - SNIP (Source Normalized Impact per Paper)
    0.683 - SJR (SCImago Journal Rank)

    2023 Speed
    47 days submission to first editorial decision for all manuscripts (Median)
    265 days submission to accept (Median)

    2023 Usage 
    396,923 downloads
    192 Altmetric mentions

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