Submission Guidelines
The Colorado Journal of Psychiatry and Psychology is now seeking contributions for issues in 2020. Past issues have been topical but each future issue will include a variety of articles of general interest. Papers may report the results of research studies, quality or process improvement projects, and literature reviews. Case reports and commentaries will also be considered for publication in the Journal.
Articles will be accepted in a rolling fashion as space allows. Articles submitted now will appear in the first issue of 2020 in the spring and subsequent submissions will enter the pipeline for future editions in the fall of 2020 and following.
Trainees are encouraged to submit and must be supported by a faculty member co-author. Many of you contribute to the Department’s Grand Rounds, Poster Sessions and other regular educational forums and are well on your way to publishing. The Editors are happy to review your work in a preliminary form and provide guidance on preparation for the Journal.
Submitting an Article
Please email a Letter of Intent to the Editor, Michael H. Allen, MD (michael.allen@cuanschutz.edu). This letter is non-binding but will help to identify a good associate editor to assist in the peer review process. The letter of Intent should include the title of the proposed paper, authors, the type of paper and a brief overview of the article you will be submitting. Any prior poster or presentation materials that might form the basis for the article can be submitted in lieu of a summary. For papers that will be first authored by a trainee, the letter should specify the name of the faculty member who will be the responsible co-author and mentor. Dr. Allen is available for advice at any stage in the publishing process and may be able to assist with editorial issues at other journals as well.
Guidelines for Specific Article Types
Regular articles are manuscripts that analyze and interpret the results of research or quality and process improvement projects that have collected primary data about children and adolescents in community and clinical settings, or the training of child and adolescent mental health professionals. The text cannot exceed 4,000 words (not including abstract, figures, tables, and references). The text of the paper should include the following sections: introduction, methods, results, discussion. Papers may include a maximum of 5 tables and figures and up to 40 references. A 250-word structured abstract (introduction, methods, results, conclusions) should also be submitted with the article.
Only papers that report the results of projects that have been approved by the appropriate institutional review board or quality improvement committee will be considered for publication. Clinical trials should be registered with clinicaltrials.gov. Please enquire with the Editors if you have any questions regarding these issues.
Review articles provide a critical analysis of the literature relevant to the science and practice of mental health care or the training of mental health professionals. The text cannot exceed 6,000 words (not including figures, tables, and references). A 250-word unstructured abstract should also be submitted with the article. Review articles may include a maximum of 5 tables and figures and up to 75 references.
Case Reports describe an issue in mental health treatment that presents challenges to clinical practice. An idealized case vignette in one to three paragraphs should be presented at the beginning of the report, followed by a review of the literature that can focus on epidemiology, pathophysiology, and evidence-based treatment as appropriate. The concluding paragraphs should summarize what the authors believe is best to do in this and similar clinical situations given the available evidence and experience.
Case Conferences follow the format of presentations in Grand Rounds, Case Conferences, or other comparable forum. The CARE guidelines for Case Reports (www.care-statement.org) is a helpful source for guiding the preparation of Case Conferences and Case Reports. The text for Case Conferences and Case Reports cannot exceed 3,500 words, up to 40 references, and 1 table or figure.
These papers may address virtually any important topic in mental health including public health, health policy, research, clinical practice, training and education. The text cannot exceed 2,000 words, with up to 10 references, and 1 table or figure.