Urban Built Environment and Mental Health

Dear Colleagues,

The burden of mental disorders continues to grow (WHO, 2019) and may be increasing as a result of the pandemic. No single definition of mental disorder or health is widely accepted. WHO (2011) defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.” Studies have shown that the urban built environment (UBE) could have direct and indirect effects on mental health (MH). It is a general belief that MH can be promoted by creating a UBE that supports MH. 

This Special Issue aims to publish research about the UBE and MH with the ultimate goal of improving and promoting MH. We welcome a wide range of topics that address questions related to UBE and MH. Topics may include definitions and measurements of UBE and MH; design or modification of the UBE to improve MH; and methodologies or statistical models to study relationships between UBE and MH.

Dr. Jane Law
Dr. Henry Hui Luan
Dr. Chris Perlman
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.