Editorial

Citation

Ashton, J. (2023), "Editorial", Journal of Public Mental Health, Vol. 22 No. 1, pp. 1-2. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMH-03-2023-160

International mental health promotion

The inaugural issue of this journal was published on 1 January 1999. Comparing the subject matter of that issue with the current one, while 1999 papers are still relevant, the foci of the 2023 issue would have only been on the horizon in 1999. The journal was originally called The International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, taking its name from the Eighth Annual European Conference on the Promotion of Mental Health, as proceedings of that conference made up the body of the first issue.

The first two of our current papers are a taster for a forthcoming Special Issue, being prepared by a team of guest editors. The theme is Equity and inclusion: people, power and politics – the potential of citizenship to transform mental health. Citizenship in this context does not refer to a legal status; Citizenship is a theoretical framework regarding social inclusion and community participation of people with mental illnesses. It is defined by a person’s connection to rights, responsibilities, roles, resources and relationships (Ponce et al., 2016). The first article, “Meeting in the middle: experiences of citizenship in community-engaged psychosis research” by Shelly Ben-David and her colleagues, stands out as an example of research not just involving people with lived experience, but conducted by them, working with academics. It was through a foundation of citizenship that the doors were opened for this participation. Making an important contribution to the research was found to be a rewarding experience, and the paper also explores the barriers to this kind of participation.

Another paper from Canada, “Making the case for citizenship-oriented mental healthcare for youth in Canada”, is a Viewpoint article by Gerald Jordan and others, based on their wide experience of working in young people’s mental health. It is an examination of the various ways the concept of citizenship can be applied to young people’s mental health in Canada. The first is to address social determinants of health. This has some correspondence to matters raised in our Special Issue a year ago, on Suicide and Self-harm, e.g. Burden and benefits-related suicides: “misperception” or state crafted reality? (Mills, 2022). Jordan et al. make a note, A key Canadian organization addressing the social determinants of health among youth is Generation Squeeze, which has successfully lobbied governments to better address issue such as climate change, childcare costs and the astronomical cost of housing. Other ways of promoting citizenship for young people in Canada are described, including adapting and delivering citizenship-based interventions; and connecting those in care to civic-related organisations.

At least one of the 1999 papers embraces the ideas of citizenship, though not referred to as such. “Mental health promotion in a rural context: research and realities from a community‐based initiative in Northern Ireland” (Barry et al., 1999). The study focused on the Rural Community Development and Health project. The paper focuses on stage one of the project, which entails engaging the community and local professional groups, undertaking a community needs assessment and developing a plan of action for the intervention phase. One of the findings was that stigma and negative attitudes at the community level need to be addressed, particularly implications for the younger age group. This is a theme which is presented in a different context, elsewhere in the current issue (Margaret Barry is a member of our Editorial Board).

In 1999, the smartphone would have belonged more to science fiction than everyday life. The paper by Truc Quynh Ho Thi reflects the ubiquity of smartphones, and some of their more negative aspects. Smartphone addiction, and cyberbullying have been well documented. The contribution of this paper is firstly to give an indication of the level of these problems among college students in Vietnam, and furthermore, using established methods to show which interactions there are between these phenomena, and also with academic stress and psychological distress. In time, these relationships would need to be investigated in other contexts, to find out whether they apply more widely.

The concept “Mental Health First Aid” (MHFA) was coined in Jorm et al. (1997), together with Betty Kirchener and Meg Smith (Mental Health First Aid International, 2023). Kimberley Laurene, in Ohio, and her co-authors have assessed how far the message of MHFA training is retained. Participants ranged from age five to university students. There were positive results, including no apparent difference on demographic criteria, such as age and race (Anthony Jorm is a member of our Editorial Board).

The original title of this Journal, The International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, would be appropriate for the current issue, and equally for the forthcoming Special Issue. The guest editors have a wide selection of material, including research from Brazil, France, South Korea and the USA. Michael Murray, our original editor, saw some signs of progress in public mental health, over the past two decades a wide range of government and private sector initiatives to support a more healthy lifestyle for whole communities have been implemented (Murray, 1999).

The International Journal of Mental Health Promotion has gone through many changes, but the ethos remains the same. The Journal of Public Mental Health focuses on the research, policy and practice that put mental well-being at the heart of the public health agenda.