Call for Papers

Invite submissions that advance depression research and evidence based therapy.

Journal of Depression and Therapy publishes rigorous studies that improve understanding, prevention, and treatment of depression. We welcome clinical trials, translational research, community interventions, and health services studies that improve patient outcomes and reduce burden.

The journal values evidence based psychotherapy, psychopharmacology, integrated care, neurobiology, digital therapeutics, and population health approaches that can be implemented in real world settings.

• Major depressive disorder and treatment resistant depression
• Adolescent and geriatric depression
• Comorbid anxiety, trauma, and substance use
• Psychotherapy outcomes and mechanisms of change
• Psychopharmacology, medication optimization, and safety
• Neurobiology, biomarkers, and brain imaging
• Digital mental health and remote care models
• Behavioral activation, CBT, and mindfulness protocols
• Depression screening, prevention, and early detection
• Health equity, stigma reduction, and access to care
• Suicide prevention and crisis intervention
• Implementation science in mental health services

• Case series with meaningful clinical insights
• Brief reports on novel therapeutic approaches
• Methodology or measurement validation studies
• Perspectives that advance mental health policy or practice

Strong submissions present a clear clinical question, rigorous methods, and transparent reporting. Use this checklist to prepare manuscripts that move through peer review efficiently.

• Define primary and secondary outcomes with validated scales
• Describe participant selection, consent, and ethical approvals
• Report intervention details including session length or dosage
• Include adherence or engagement measures where relevant
• Provide statistical rationale and handling of missing data
• Describe comorbidities and concurrent treatments
• Include data availability statements and repository links
• Report limitations and generalizability clearly
• State clinical implications for depression treatment
• Use consistent terminology for mood disorder subtypes
• Provide figure legends and table captions with clarity
• Confirm conflicts of interest and funding disclosures

Manuscripts undergo editorial screening for scope, ethics, and methodological integrity before single blind peer review. Clear reporting and structured submissions accelerate decisions.

APCs are applied after acceptance and support peer review, production, and long term archiving. Membership options and partial waivers are available. See https://openaccesspub.org/journal/depression-and-therapy/article-processing-charges for details or contact [email protected] for guidance.

Use this checklist to prepare rigorous depression and therapy manuscripts with transparent reporting and clinical relevance.

• Report diagnostic criteria and screening tools used
• State primary and secondary outcomes clearly
• Describe recruitment setting and inclusion criteria
• Report sample size rationale or power calculations
• Specify depression severity at baseline
• Include comorbidity and medication details
• Describe intervention components and duration
• Report adherence and engagement metrics
• Explain randomization or allocation procedures
• Provide blinding or masking details where applicable
• Describe therapist training or supervision
• Report adverse events and safety monitoring
• Include follow up timelines and assessment intervals
• Explain handling of missing data and attrition
• Report effect sizes and confidence intervals
• Clarify clinical significance thresholds
• Describe subgroup or stratified analyses
• Explain statistical models and assumptions
• Provide data availability statements
• Document ethics approvals and consent
• Report intervention fidelity checks
• Describe measurement instruments and validation
• Provide context for cultural or community factors
• Report clinician or rater training if relevant
• Include limitations and generalizability statements
• Describe concurrent treatments or co-interventions
• Clarify setting for treatment delivery
• Describe treatment adherence support used
• State any protocol deviations
• Provide information on participant compensation
• Describe data preprocessing or scoring methods
• Report any clinical trial registration numbers
• Include a clear interpretation of outcomes
• Link results to practical therapy implications
• Provide a reproducibility statement for methods
• Discuss implications for policy or service delivery
• Explain limitations for digital or remote interventions
• Include ethical considerations for vulnerable groups
• Clarify relapse or remission definitions
• Report any long term outcomes or maintenance data

Clear intervention reporting improves reproducibility and clinical uptake of therapy findings.

• Describe therapy modality and theoretical framework
• Report number and length of sessions
• Clarify delivery mode: in person, group, or digital
• Explain therapist qualifications and supervision
• Include adherence monitoring or fidelity checks
• Describe homework or between session activities
• Report patient engagement and dropout rates
• Provide symptom change trajectories over time
• Report co-interventions or medication changes
• Describe patient safety protocols and escalation
• Explain handling of crisis or suicidal ideation
• Include follow up support or maintenance plans
• Report clinician or participant feedback measures
• Describe cultural adaptations or accessibility steps
• Clarify informed consent processes for therapy studies
• Include measures of functioning or quality of life
• Report treatment setting and care integration
• Explain how outcomes inform clinical practice
• Describe telehealth or digital platform features
• Include data privacy measures for digital therapy

Outcome clarity improves clinical interpretation and comparability across studies.

• Report remission and response criteria used
• Include baseline and follow up scores
• Describe functional outcomes and daily living impact
• Report quality of life measures when available
• Explain clinical significance thresholds
• Include relapse or recurrence tracking
• Provide subgroup outcomes where appropriate
• Describe adverse event monitoring
• Report patient satisfaction or acceptability
• Include caregiver or family outcomes if assessed
• Clarify timing of outcome assessments
• State whether outcomes were clinician or self reported

Clear methods reporting strengthens reproducibility and reviewer confidence.

• Describe recruitment sources and setting
• Report inclusion and exclusion criteria clearly
• Clarify diagnostic tools and criteria used
• Provide details on randomization or allocation
• Describe blinding or masking procedures
• Report protocol deviations and their impact
• Include intervention fidelity measures
• Explain handling of missing data
• Describe statistical software and versions
• Report adjustments for confounders
• Provide sensitivity analyses where relevant
• Clarify sample attrition and reasons

Implementation details help clinicians translate evidence into care.

• Describe care setting and resource requirements
• Report training or supervision needs
• Discuss barriers to implementation
• Provide scalability considerations
• Include cost or resource implications
• Describe patient engagement strategies
• Report cultural adaptations
• Explain coordination with primary care
• Discuss telehealth feasibility
• Provide recommendations for practice
• Include equity and access considerations
• Describe monitoring for treatment adherence