Special Series on “Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine in the Context of Mental Health and Spiritual Well-Being”
2022-2023

The Southern Medical Journal invites authors to submit original research, perspectives, and review manuscripts for consideration on current topics in pediatrics and adolescent medicine, particularly in the context of mental health, the pandemic, and spiritual well-being.  We welcome manuscripts on these contemporary topics, but also on related topics such as:

• Children and the pandemic (general considerations)
• Challenges in the transition from pediatric and adolescent medicine to adult medicine
• The effects of virtual, at-home learning on social growth and development
• Suicide risk in adolescents (general considerations as well as during the pandemic)
• Acting-out behavior and other harmful responses to the pandemic isolation phenomenon
• Depression (in general and caused by pandemic social isolation)
• Discussing COVID vaccination with children, adolescents, and parents
• Coping mechanisms for young patients who lose family members during the pandemic
• How do faith and spirituality play a role in dealing with stressors (eg, the pandemic, peer pressure, cyberbullying, pressures from social media) for children and adolescents?
• Are pandemic mental health issues different for children and adolescents than for adults?
• ADHD learning in the pandemic environment—stressors and challenges
• Social justice and ethics in providing mental health care for children and adolescents.

PLEASE NOTE

• Manuscripts should be submitted between now and July 31, 2022 to be considered for the special series. Submission for the special series should be indicated in the cover letter.
  
• Please visit www.editorialmanager.com/smj for the complete instructions for authors and to submit your manuscript.
• For any questions about this special series, please contact SMJ Managing Editor, Jennifer Price at jprice@sma.org.