Mental Health is a Global Public Health Issue
Mental, emotional, and psychological health have garnered increased attention as a major public health issue. Mental health includes not only the traditional focus on individual therapy interactions but also emerging frameworks designed to address mental health at the population health level. Health is shaped by a plethora of determinants (eg, genetics, gender, socioeconomic status, education, physical environment, social support networks, access to health services) that operate at the individual, family, community, health systems, and societal levels. Because these determinants of health affect not only physical health but also psychological health, it’s imperative in public health to gain a better understanding of the many pathways through which determinants of health impact the psychological well-being of large groups of individuals.
Over the past 5 years, Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD) has received an increase in submissions addressing aspects of mental health and chronic disease. PCD is pleased to release this collection, Mental Health Is a Global Public Health Issue, which consists of 10 articles that examine relationships between family history, self-care practices, sleep, obesity, educational attainment, and depression. This collection also includes 2 articles from our previously published COVID-19 special supplement: one that addresses the critical need for a population approach to improve the nation’s behavioral health during the COVID-19 pandemic, and one that offers recommendations on keeping parks and green spaces accessible to promote mental and physical health. We hope this collection contributes to ongoing efforts to provide reliable, peer-reviewed research and proven practices to improve health outcomes worldwide in mental health and chronic disease. The topics featured below represent areas in which future submissions would be of great interest to the journal, and PCD will continue to release timely peer-reviewed articles on mental health issues in chronic disease as new information comes available.
Leonard Jack, Jr, PhD, MSc
Editor in Chief, Preventing Chronic Disease
COMMENTARY
PEER REVIEWED
Evans AC, Bufka LF. The Critical Need for a Population Health Approach: Addressing the Nation’s Behavioral Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond. Prev Chronic Dis 2020;17:200261.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
PEER REVIEWED
The Joint Effect of Physical Multimorbidity and Mental Health Conditions Among Adults in Australia
Ishida M, Hulse ESG, Mahar RK, Gunn J, Atun R, McPake B, et al. The Joint Effect of Physical Multimorbidity and Mental Health Conditions Among Adults in Australia. Prev Chronic Dis 2020;17;200155.
COMMENTARY
PEER REVIEWED
Slater SJ, Christiana RW, Gustat J. Recommendations for Keeping Parks and Green Space Accessible for Mental and Physical Health During COVID-19 and Other Pandemics. Prev Chronic Dis 2020;17:200204.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
PEER REVIEWED
Association of Adult Depression With Educational Attainment, Aspirations, and Expectations
Cohen AK, Nussbaum J, Weintraub MLR, Nichols CR, Yen IH. Association of Adult Depression With Educational Attainment, Aspirations, and Expectations. Prev Chronic Dis 2020;17:200098.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
PEER REVIEWED
Haregu TN, Lee JT, Oldenburg B, Armstrong G. Comorbid Depression and Obesity: Correlates and Synergistic Association With Noncommunicable Diseases Among Australian Men. Prev Chronic Dis 2020;17:190420.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
PEER REVIEWED
Trouble Sleeping and Depression Among US Women Aged 20 to 30 Years
Barsha RAA, Hossain MB. Trouble Sleeping and Depression Among US Women Aged 20 to 30 Years. Prev Chronic Dis 2020;17:190262.
CME ACTIVITY
PEER REVIEWED
Time-Varying Effects of Parental Alcoholism on Depression
Thapa S, Selya AS, Jonk Y. Time-Varying Effects of Parental Alcoholism on Depression. Prev Chronic Dis 2017;14:170100.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
PEER REVIEWED
Lee HH, Sung JH, Lee J, Lee JE. Differences by Sex in Association of Mental Health With Video Gaming or Other Nonacademic Computer Use Among US Adolescents. Prev Chronic Dis 2017;14:170151.
RESEARCH BRIEF
PEER REVIEWED
Barnes PA, Mayo-Gamble TL, Harris D, Townsend D. Correlation Between Personal Health History and Depression Self-Care Practices and Depression Screening Among African Americans With Chronic Conditions. Prev Chronic Dis 2018;15:170581.
RESEARCH BRIEF
PEER REVIEWED
Miyakado-Steger H, Seidel S. Using the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to Assess Mental Health, Travis County, Texas, 2011–2016. Prev Chronic Dis 2019;16:180449.
The opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors’ affiliated institutions.
