Top 10 Depression journals

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3 mins read
Looking to publish research into depression and anxiety? In this article, you’ll find quick links to the world’s top 10 depression and anxiety journals, plus a summary of the kinds of articles each journal publishes, and vital data to help you choose the right one, including impact factor.
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Young woman sitting on a paved path near a stone wall, appearing thoughtful and downcast with her head resting in her hands
First Published: 
Jun 2021
Updated: 
May 2025
First Published: 
Jun 2021
|
Updated: 
May 2025

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Key Learnings contained in this article:

Contents:

  1. Criteria for Evaluating Depression and Anxiety Journals
  2. Editorial Standards and Peer Review Process
  3. The Top 10 Depression and Anxiety Journals

Criteria for Evaluating Depression and Anxiety Journals

How do you select the depression and anxiety journal that’s right for your research?

The process can be long and stressful, with lots to coordinate. You might have deadlines around major conferences, commercial pressures…and of course, the worry that if you choose the wrong journal, you’ll damage both your own credibility and that of your organisation.

We’ve helped 1000s of researchers, academics and publications managers find the perfect journal for their research. These are the criteria we use to evaluate them.

Impact Factor and Citation Metrics

Impact factor (and its related citation metrics) are commonly used benchmarks for assessing depression and anxiety journals. They help quantify a publication’s influence within the academic community, and most researchers are keen to get published in a journal with as high an impact factor as possible.

But how useful is impact factor, really?

The impact factor of a depression journal gives you a quick snapshot of how widely read – and therefore impactful – it might be.

Tracking and ranking depression and mental health journals by impact factor is a useful starting point, but rankings alone don’t tell the entire story. You should also consider the journal’s scope, editorial board expertise, and the rigour of its peer review process.

These elements can be just as critical to ensuring a journal’s overall quality as numerical indicators like citation counts.

When we support our clients with journal selection and submission, we’ll take account of all these factors.

Get the Predatory Journal Checklist

Ensure the credibility of your chosen journal and protect the integrity of your research. Use our comprehensive guide to steer clear of predatory journals and confidently publish your findings.

Editorial Standards and Peer Review Process

The editorial standards and peer review process of a journal often determine the reliability and credibility of its articles. Leading journals, such as the Journal of Anxiety Disorders or Depression and Anxiety, typically employ a thorough vetting system where experts in the field evaluate submissions for methodological soundness, clarity of argument, and novelty.

Journals that uphold strict editorial policies are more likely to publish high-quality research, thus serving as indispensable resources for anyone working in mental health.

Whether you are preparing a journal submission or simply looking to expand your understanding of the field, prioritising publications with robust peer review frameworks will help ensure you’re engaging with trustworthy and influential content.

Get the Predatory Journal Checklist

Ensure the credibility of your chosen journal and protect the integrity of your research. Use our comprehensive guide to steer clear of predatory journals and confidently publish your findings.

Contents:

  1. Criteria for Evaluating Depression and Anxiety Journals
  2. Editorial Standards and Peer Review Process
  3. The Top 10 Depression and Anxiety Journals

Criteria for Evaluating Depression and Anxiety Journals

How do you select the depression and anxiety journal that’s right for your research?

The process can be long and stressful, with lots to coordinate. You might have deadlines around major conferences, commercial pressures…and of course, the worry that if you choose the wrong journal, you’ll damage both your own credibility and that of your organisation.

We’ve helped 1000s of researchers, academics and publications managers find the perfect journal for their research. These are the criteria we use to evaluate them.

Impact Factor and Citation Metrics

Impact factor (and its related citation metrics) are commonly used benchmarks for assessing depression and anxiety journals. They help quantify a publication’s influence within the academic community, and most researchers are keen to get published in a journal with as high an impact factor as possible.

But how useful is impact factor, really?

The impact factor of a depression journal gives you a quick snapshot of how widely read – and therefore impactful – it might be.

Tracking and ranking depression and mental health journals by impact factor is a useful starting point, but rankings alone don’t tell the entire story. You should also consider the journal’s scope, editorial board expertise, and the rigour of its peer review process.

These elements can be just as critical to ensuring a journal’s overall quality as numerical indicators like citation counts.

When we support our clients with journal selection and submission, we’ll take account of all these factors.

Deeper dives into metrics and impact factor

(for researchers, academics and publications managers)

Editorial Standards and Peer Review Process

The editorial standards and peer review process of a journal often determine the reliability and credibility of its articles. Leading journals, such as the Journal of Anxiety Disorders or Depression and Anxiety, typically employ a thorough vetting system where experts in the field evaluate submissions for methodological soundness, clarity of argument, and novelty.

Journals that uphold strict editorial policies are more likely to publish high-quality research, thus serving as indispensable resources for anyone working in mental health.

Whether you are preparing a journal submission or simply looking to expand your understanding of the field, prioritising publications with robust peer review frameworks will help ensure you’re engaging with trustworthy and influential content.

Top 10 Depression journals

Important note: these are the top 10 depression and anxiety journals, but that doesn’t mean any of them should necessarily be your first choice.  A specialist, sometimes hard-to-find journal might be perfect for your particular research – helping you reach the exact audience you need, or offering you a much better chance of publication.  We’ve seen plenty of examples where a client published in a smaller journal (sometimes hesitantly) that turned out to be the best choice for their research.

Things you should know about Journals...

To support you in this, we've prepared a number of articles to assist you in making the right journal selection for your publication. If you would like a broad overview, start with our comprehensive article 'Navigating the Journal Selection & Submission Process', or jump in to one of these other related topics and get the information you need to be successful!

Top 10 Depression journals

Get the Predatory Journal Checklist

Ensure the credibility of your chosen journal and protect the integrity of your research. Use our comprehensive guide to steer clear of predatory journals and confidently publish your findings.

Our internal team work collaboratively on many projects, in some cases drawing on cumulative agency expertise and experience.
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So you can maximise your chances of successful publication, and get the support you need  at any stage, including:

  • Journal selection
  • Manuscript writing
  • Journal submission

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Ensure the credibility of your chosen journal and protect the integrity of your research. Use our comprehensive guide to steer clear of predatory journals and confidently publish your findings.

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