Abstract
The Journal of Black Psychology (JBP) is issuing a call for papers on the topic of Black families and mental health. Structural inequalities, which are multi-layered and embedded in social, economic, educational, legal, and political structures, demonstrate that systemic disenfranchisement is intricately linked to mental health disparities and inequities for Black families and communities (Belgrave et al., 2026; Boyd-Franklin, 2006; Leath et al., 2024; Love, 2020; McAdoo, 2001; McAdoo, 2006; Roberts, 2023; Tatum, 2017). Structural factors impede access to mental health prevention and services for Black families, including inadequate access to culturally responsive services, linguistic, and immigration status considerations (Griffith, Jones, & Stewart, 2018; Lewis, 2023; Smith et al., 2025). Relatedly, the provision of mental health care is connected to the role of socio-historical, -political, and -cultural contexts of Black families, including historical trauma, cultural mistrust, and ongoing intersectional discrimination in mental health systems of care (Allen et al., 2026; Kerney et al., 2024; King, 2008; Palmer, 2025; Roberts, 2025; Walker, 2024; Wilson et al., 2026). An important aspect of addressing mental health disparities and inequalities for Black families involves using critical analytic frameworks in Black psychology (Belgrave et al., 2026). These frameworks—including theories, methodologies, and praxis—connect to critical perspectives, liberation, and culturally responsive approaches (Allen et al., 2026; Cooper et al., 2023; Greer & Cavalhieri, 2019; Turner et al., 2022). We invite authors to address various aspects of this topic, including the specific challenges faced by Black families, the role of cultural values and worldviews influencing mental health, and effective strategies for support and intervention to deepen our understanding of these critical issues and promote dialogue in the field (Kafanabo et al., 2025; Myers, 1993; Nobles, 2023; Utsey et al., 2026). By fostering a deeper understanding of these issues, we aim to contribute to a body of knowledge that supports research, advocacy, and culturally responsive prevention and care strategies in the field.
The purpose of this call is to advance cutting-edge scholarship on Black families and mental health that will incorporate future directions for research and praxis, including education, prevention and intervention strategies, community-based knowledge systems, policy, and advocacy, among other areas. This special issue will focus on empirical research studies that incorporate quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods approaches. We will not consider conceptual, theoretical, or systematic review manuscripts for this special issue.
Issues that are of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: • Black families and African-centered mental health. • Black families and strength-based frameworks in promoting mental health, well-being, resilience, and coping. • Mental health needs of Black families of African, Caribbean, African American, and Afro-Latinx heritage. • Role of Black families and communities and support systems in facilitating culturally responsive mental health care. • Racism, trauma, mental health, and resiliency in Black families. • Black families, intergenerational relationships, and mental health. • Black extended family networks, kinship care, and mental health. • Black fathers, parenting, father engagement, involvement, and mental health. • Black mother-daughter relationships and mental health. • Black grandparents’ role in the socialization of Black youth in Black families. • Role of religion, spirituality, and faith-based communities in Black families. • Parenting and Racial socialization in Black families. • Black children, parenting, schools, communities, and mental health. • Black racial identity development, education, and mental health in Black families. • Black relationships, couples, and mental health. • Black sexualities and mental health needs for Black LGBTQ+ communities and their families in promoting inclusive support systems and well-being. • Black families, socio-economic class issues, and mental health. • Black families and mental health in rural communities. • Black families, attitudes toward psychological help-seeking, and mental health service utilization. • Cultural mistrust, mental health stigma, and culturally responsive mental health care in Black families.
Submission Information: 1. Submit the manuscript through the journal’s portal and create an account: mc.manuscriptcentral.com/jbp. 2. It would be most helpful to review the manuscript submission guidelines of the journal on the JBP website. In addition, please note in the cover letter that this submission is for the Special Issue Call for Papers: Black Families and Mental Health. 3. Deadline for manuscript submission is January 15, 2027. 4. Evaluation: The manuscript will be reviewed by a review panel and authors will be notified of the decision within 45 to 60 days of submission. 5. Submission of a manuscript does not guarantee eventual publication, as all manuscripts will be peer-reviewed as per the protocol with submissions to the Journal of Black Psychology. 6. For further information, please contact: Leo Wilton, PhD, Editor-in-Chief, The Journal of Black Psychology:
Note. All authors who have submitted a manuscript may be asked to serve as a reviewer on one or two other manuscripts considered for inclusion in this Special Issue. The expected publication date for this Special Issue will be in the fall or winter of 2027, depending on the turnaround of the manuscripts.