Call for Papers

Publish applied, clinical, and community focused psychology research that improves real world outcomes.

JHP focuses on psychology that changes lives. We prioritize research that advances mental health care, supports behavioral change, and improves quality of life across diverse populations. Our editorial team values clinically meaningful outcomes, community impact, and evidence that can be implemented in practice.

As an open access journal, JHP ensures that clinicians, educators, policy leaders, and community organizations can access your findings without barriers. We help authors amplify the reach of their work through structured metadata, DOI assignment, and discoverability across scholarly platforms.

JHP publishes applied and clinical psychology research with direct relevance to human behavior and wellbeing. Priority areas include:

• Clinical Psychology: Psychotherapy outcomes, diagnostic assessment, trauma informed care, and clinical decision making.
• Mental Health: Depression, anxiety, substance use, resilience, and evidence based treatment models.
• Community Psychology: Community interventions, prevention programs, and empowerment strategies.
• Public Health Behavior: Behavioral change, health promotion, and population level mental health strategies.
• Industrial-Organizational Psychology: Workplace wellbeing, leadership, burnout prevention, and organizational culture.
• Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine: Behavioral adherence, chronic disease self-management, and mind-body health outcomes.
• Developmental and Educational Psychology: Child, adolescent, and family mental health, school based interventions, and lifespan wellbeing.
• Social and Cultural Psychology: Stigma, identity, cultural factors, and interpersonal dynamics in mental health and behavior.

We welcome a wide range of study designs when they are clearly described, ethically sound, and aligned to clinical or applied outcomes. JHP values rigorous methods that make findings usable for practitioners, policymakers, and community leaders.

• Randomized or pragmatic trials evaluating psychological or behavioral interventions.
• Longitudinal and cohort studies that track mental health outcomes over time.
• Community based participatory research that centers lived experience.
• Program evaluations and implementation studies in real world settings.
• Mixed methods studies that combine quantitative outcomes with qualitative insight.
• Workplace and organizational intervention research focused on wellbeing.

Submissions should clearly define participant populations, outcome measures, and practical implications for clinical or community practice.

We welcome manuscripts that advance clinical practice and applied psychology. Authors should review the detailed requirements in our Instructions for Authors.

• Clear clinical or behavioral outcomes that matter to patients, communities, or workplaces.
• Ethical research practices, informed consent, and responsible reporting.
• Transparent methods that allow interpretation and replication.
• Equity oriented research that addresses disparities and access barriers.
• Actionable implications for practice, policy, or program design.

JHP encourages transparent reporting to strengthen clinical interpretation and evidence synthesis. Authors should follow recognized reporting guidelines and include data availability statements when possible.

• CONSORT for randomized trials and intervention studies.
• STROBE for observational and cohort studies.
• PRISMA for systematic reviews and meta analyses.
• COREQ for qualitative research and interviews.
• Clear descriptions of measures, instruments, and analytic approaches.

We encourage authors to articulate how findings can be applied in clinical care, community programs, or workplace settings. JHP prioritizes research that moves beyond theory and demonstrates impact on patient wellbeing, behavioral outcomes, or service delivery.

• Clinical psychology interventions that improve treatment outcomes or access.
• Community based programs addressing trauma, stigma, or population level mental health.
• Health psychology studies that improve adherence, lifestyle change, or chronic disease management.
• Workplace psychology research focused on burnout prevention, leadership, and organizational culture.
• Public health behavior studies that inform policy or prevention strategies.

When possible, include implementation context, barriers to uptake, and equity considerations.

All submissions must follow ethical guidelines for human participants. Authors should provide IRB or ethics approval statements, describe informed consent procedures, and ensure that sensitive data are protected. JHP follows COPE guidance and expects transparency in conflicts of interest and funding disclosures.

For community based work, describe how participants were engaged and how cultural context informed study design. Protect participant privacy in datasets and qualitative materials, and avoid including identifying details.

Our editorial office conducts initial screening for scope fit, ethical compliance, and reporting quality. Suitable manuscripts proceed to single-blind peer review. Authors receive constructive feedback and clear editorial decisions aimed at improving the clarity and clinical value of the work.

We aim to provide timely, actionable guidance that helps authors strengthen interpretation, presentation, and translational relevance. Revision requests focus on methodological clarity, ethical documentation, and the real world implications of findings for clinicians, communities, and workplaces.

JHP operates on an open access model supported by Article Processing Charges (APC). Waiver and discount options are available for eligible authors. Please visit the APC page for current rates and waiver details.

Authors are encouraged to review waiver eligibility early to avoid delays after acceptance.