Submissions

Author Guidelines

Authors are invited to submit high-quality, original manuscripts that align with the aims and scope of the Mental Health and Lifestyle Medicine Journal (MHLJ). Submissions must comply with the following guidelines to be considered for peer review and publication.

1. Manuscript Categories

The journal accepts the following article types:

• Original Research Articles (up to 6000 words, excluding references and tables/figures)

• Review Articles (up to 8000 words; systematic, scoping, or narrative)

• Brief Reports (1500–3000 words)

• Case Studies (up to 3000 words)

• Commentaries or Letters to the Editor (up to 1000 words)

• Methodological Papers or Protocols (up to 5000 words)

Word limits do not include references, tables, or figure legends.

2. General Formatting

• File Format: Microsoft Word (.docx or .doc)

• Font: Times New Roman, 12-point

• Line Spacing: Double-spaced throughout

• Margins: 2.5 cm (1 inch) on all sides

• Page Numbers: Bottom center of each page

• Language: English (British or American consistency required)

3. Manuscript Structure

All submissions should be organized into the following sections:

a. Title Page (submitted separately)

• Article title (concise and informative)

• Full names of all authors with affiliations (department, institution, city, country)

• Corresponding author’s name, email, phone number, and ORCID ID (if available)

• Word count (excluding references, tables, figures)

• Type of article (e.g., Original Article, Review)

b. Abstract

• Word limit: 200–300 words

• Structured format for original studies: Background, Methods, Results, Conclusion

• Unstructured abstract for reviews or case reports

c. Keywords

• 4 to 6 keywords using MeSH terms if applicable

d. Main Body of Text

Depending on the article type:

For Original Articles:

• Introduction

• Methods and Materials (include study design, participants, tools/instruments, ethics, and analysis)

• Findings and Results

• Discussion and Conclusion

• For Review Articles:

• Introduction

• Main sections (organized thematically)

• Summary or Conclusion

For Case Reports:

• Introduction

• Case Presentation

• Discussion

• Conclusion

e. Acknowledgements

Include funding sources, institutional support, or contributions from individuals who are not listed as authors.

f. Conflicts of Interest

All potential conflicts (financial, institutional, or personal) must be declared.

g. Ethics Statement

Required for all studies involving human participants or animals. Must include:

• Name of ethical board

• Approval number

• Confirmation of informed consent

h. Funding Disclosure

Clearly mention any financial support or grant number.

i. Author Contributions

Specify each author's role using CRediT taxonomy (e.g., Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing—Original Draft).

4. References

a. Citation Style

The Mental Health and Lifestyle Medicine Journal uses the National Library of Medicine (NLM) citation format, following the guidelines in Citing Medicine: The NLM Style Guide for Authors, Editors, and Publishers (2nd ed.).

b. In-Text Citations

• Use superscript Arabic numerals in the order of appearance in the text.
  Example: Lifestyle interventions have shown promise in mental health care.¹

• Multiple citations should appear as: ²–⁴, or ²,⁴,⁶ if non-consecutive.

c. Reference List

• Number references in the order they appear in the text.

• Do not alphabetize.

• Use hanging indent for each reference entry.

• Provide up to 6 authors; for more than 6, list the first 6 followed by “et al.”

Examples:

Journal Article:

1. Smith J, Doe A, Johnson L, White R. Effects of plant-based diets on anxiety symptoms: A cross-sectional analysis. J Lifestyle Med. 2022;14(3):211–219. doi:10.1234/jlm.2022.14.3.211.

Book:
2. Williams MH. Nutrition for Health, Fitness and Sport. 11th ed. McGraw-Hill; 2020.

Book Chapter:
3. Walker R. Sleep and mental health. In: Lee T, editor. Foundations of Lifestyle Medicine. Springer; 2021. p. 55–78.

Website:
4. World Health Organization. Mental health and COVID-19. 2023 [cited 2025 May 1]. Available from: https://www.who.int/mental_health/covid19.

5. Tables and Figures

• Each table/figure should be cited in the text (e.g., “See Table 1”).

• Tables must be created using Word table tools (not images).

• Figures should be high-resolution (min. 300 dpi) and submitted as separate files (JPEG, PNG, or TIFF).

• Each must include a descriptive title or caption below the figure or table.

• Indicate if a figure or table is adapted from another source (permission required if applicable).

6. Supplementary Materials

Authors may submit appendices, multimedia, raw data, or questionnaires as supplementary files to support transparency and reproducibility.

7. Submission Process

• Submit your manuscript through the journal's online submission system [Insert submission link here].

• A cover letter is required, briefly describing:

  • The novelty of the work

  • The contribution to existing knowledge

  • Declaration that the manuscript has not been published or submitted elsewhere

8. Peer Review and Decision

• All submissions are evaluated by at least two independent reviewers under a double-blind system.

• Editors make the final decision based on reviewers’ comments and editorial standards.

• The average review time is 4–6 weeks.

9. Publication Fee

An Article Processing Charge (APC) of 1,500,000 Tomans will be applied to accepted articles. No submission fee is charged. Fee waivers are considered for authors from low-income countries or in cases of financial hardship.

10. Ethical Compliance

The journal follows the COPE guidelines for ethical publication. Authors are expected to:

• Report data honestly

• Avoid duplicate submission

• Credit all contributors accurately

• Seek ethics approval for human/animal research