This collection seeks to advance understanding of mental health inequities by explicitly focusing on behavioral pathways that link structural, social, and economic inequities to mental health outcomes. Rather than addressing social determinants in broad terms, the Collection emphasizes how inequities rooted in socioeconomic status, race and ethnicity, gender, geography, and disability shape health-related behaviors (e.g., substance use, diet, physical activity, sleep, and help-seeking), and how these behaviors constitute modifiable targets for intervention, service design, and policy action.

Health inequities are systematic, avoidable, and unjust differences in health that both contribute to and result from mental health problems. These inequities often operate through behavioral and psychosocial mechanisms that exacerbate mental and physical health disparities across the life course. The Collection welcomes large-scale epidemiological and cohort studies, registry-based analyses, qualitative and mixed-methods research with marginalized populations, implementation and dissemination studies, natural experiments and policy evaluations, as well as digital, community-based, and behavioral interventions grounded in behavioral science and health psychology.

By integrating perspectives from public health, epidemiology, behavioral science, health psychology, and intervention research, this interdisciplinary Collection aims to generate evidence that is directly relevant for translating research into policies and practices that promote mental health equity in diverse global contexts.

Keywords:

Mental health disparities; Health inequities; Social determinants of mental health; Health behavior; Structural inequity; Psychosocial stress; Health equity interventions; Global mental health; Socioeconomic status; SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being); Behavioral science; Health psychology; Behavioral interventions; Policy translation

Child and adolescent mental health is an urgent global concern, with increasing prevalence of anxiety, depression, behavioral problems, neurodevelopmental disorders, and self-harm. Rapid social changes, academic pressures, digital and social media influences, and the lingering psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have intensified vulnerabilities in this age group. Persistent gaps remain in early detection, equitable access to care, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the safe integration of evidence-based innovations into clinical and community settings.

This Collection aims to provide a comprehensive platform for emerging research, critical reviews, and practice-based insights that advance understanding of mental health challenges among children and adolescents—while highlighting transformative innovations. We especially welcome studies on digital health and artificial intelligence (AI), including AI-assisted screening, machine learning–driven predictive models, tele-mental health, virtual reality therapies, and mobile applications designed for youth and families.

Recognizing that digital and AI-driven approaches carry unique risks for young populations, this Collection places strong and explicit emphasis on addressing the ethical, access, and data-privacy challenges embedded in these technologies. We actively encourage submissions that explore:

• Ethical safeguards and governance models for responsible AI use in youth mental health, including algorithmic transparency, bias mitigation, informed consent, and child-safeguarding principles;

• Data-privacy and security frameworks that protect sensitive behavioral, emotional, and biometric data collected through digital platforms;

• Equitable access challenges, including digital divides, disparities in device/internet availability, structural inequities, and cultural or linguistic barriers that limit benefit from digital innovations;

• Evaluation of risks, such as data misuse, surveillance, stigmatization, or unintended harms resulting from automated decision-making;

• Policy, regulatory, and implementation guidelines that ensure digital and AI tools are safe, trustworthy, and centered on the rights and well-being of children and adolescents.

By elevating these critical concerns, the Collection seeks to promote innovations that are not only technologically advanced but also ethically responsible, privacy-protective, culturally sensitive, and accessible across diverse global contexts.

In addition to digital innovations, the Collection welcomes scholarship on school-based programs, family-centered care, trauma-informed interventions, and community-level strategies. Bringing together perspectives from nursing, psychiatry, psychology, public health, data science, social sciences, and education, this Collection aims to stimulate global dialogue, strengthen evidence-based practice, and support the development of safe, scalable, and person-centered mental health solutions. Ultimately, the goal is to enhance resilience, reduce stigma, expand equitable access to quality care, and shape the future of child and adolescent mental health worldwide.

Keywords:

• Child mental health

• adolescent mental health

• Pediatric psychiatry

• cytogenetics

• neurodevelopmental Disorders

• Behavioral disorders

• Anxiety and depression

• Self-harm and suicide prevention

• Early identification and prevention

• Community-based mental health care

• Mental health nursing

• Artificial intelligence in mental health

• Tele-mental health

• mHealth applications

• Virtual reality–based interventions

• Ethical AI in youth mental health