Scope

This Section is affiliated with the European Society of Social Psychiatry

Frontiers in Psychiatry – Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Rehabilitation aims to publish original research studies and other forms of evidence such as reviews that advance our knowledge and understanding of the psychosocial treatment and recovery of people with severe mental illness, consistent with the principles and values of psychiatric rehabilitation and person-centered care. New information on psychiatric disability, rehabilitation, community support, and recovery are rapidly increasing. In addition, the treatment of severe mental illness has recently shifted from a focus on management and stabilization of symptoms, to the much broader and more ambitious goal of functional recovery. Such recovery is measured not only by symptoms but by real world outcomes such as relationships, work, and housing status.

Despite advances in the pharmacological treatment of people with severe mental illness, it is clear that medications alone are not sufficient to achieve remission and functional recovery. Psychosocial interventions are needed alongside or instead of pharmacological treatment and play an important role, especially in improving functioning. Various psychiatric rehabilitation models and interventions have been developed, evaluated and disseminated, both in hospital and residential settings and in the community. This continues to be a steadily developing field of research and clinical practice. Frontiers in Psychiatry – Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Rehabilitation section encourages contributions that consider those with abroad spectrum of mental health conditions and level of severity. We aim to be inclusive. 

Frontiers in Psychiatry – Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Rehabilitation aims to describe the processes and outcomes of mental health care and rehabilitation as well as a variety of holistic approaches to care both within and outside institutions. Mental health care, including rehabilitation, is currently a mixture of evidence-based practices, promising practices and emerging methods. These have the potential to provide a broad strategy to achieve functional recovery, but our knowledge is incomplete and practice is variable. Our aim is to play a small but significant part in addressing these gaps and supporting more consistent practice, while allowing for new initiatives to be evaluated and those evaluations published to increase our knowledge base. All contributions are welcome as long as they in some way contribute to this effort, and we very much hope to be inclusive and varied. Important topics such as innovative ways to reduce barriers and promote access to, and retention in, care will be particularly welcome, as will those that are co- produced with people who use services. 

The following list of topics is illustrative and not exhaustive: 

1)Psychiatric rehabilitation and psychosocial functioning 

2)Psychiatric rehabilitation outcomes  

3)Family and carer needs and interventions

4)Evidence-based psychosocial and rehabilitative interventions: Psychoeducation, Social skills training, supported employment, employment support initiatives in ‘mainstream’ work environments, Cognitive remediation, Physical activity

5)Barriers to implementing evidence-based practice 

6)Assertive Community Treatment and other outreach services in the community

7)Integrated treatments in psychiatric rehabilitation  

8)Psychosocial interventions and psychopharmacology

9)Person-centered and recovery-oriented interventions 

10)Social prescribing

11)Psychiatric rehabilitation and mental health services organization 

12)Stigma, discrimination and socio-cultural issues in psychiatric rehabilitation

13)Quality of life of patients, family members and rehabilitation staff

Submission

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