Risk Generation and Support Systems in the Mental Health of Special Populations

Submission Deadline: 30 November 2026 View: 110 Submit to Special Issue

Guest Editor(s)

Prof. Shiyong Wu

Email: shiyong.wu@gpnu.edu.cn

Affiliation: School of Education Science, Guangdong Polytechnic Normal University, Guangzhou, China

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Research Interests: mental health in special populations, psychological vulnerability and resilience, cross-cultural adaptation and student well-being

Prof. Yanjie Zhang

Email: zhangyanjie@cuhk.edu.cn

Affiliation: School of Humanities and Social Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China

Homepage:

Research Interests: digital health and intervention, behavior activity and health promotion, exercise and chronic disease, nutrition, physical performance, quantitative analysis

Summary

Mental health has become a central concern in public health, education, and social policy. For special populations, mental health is shaped not only by individual characteristics but also by risks embedded in specific social, cultural, institutional, and life contexts. These populations include vulnerable groups, minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, workers in a special high-risk industry such as transportation, mining, and sport, and those living or studying across cultures and settings. While existing studies have generated important insights into mental health mechanisms, further work is needed to understand how risks are produced, accumulated, and differentiated, as well as how support systems can reduce vulnerability and promote well-being.

This special issue aims to advance research on the mental health of special populations from the perspective of risk generation and support systems. It seeks to move beyond static descriptions of mental health problems and to examine how risks emerge in specific contexts, how support systems shape mental health outcomes, and how prevention, intervention, and promotion strategies can be better adapted to diverse populations.

Suggested themes include:
· Risk generation and accumulation in special populations
· Cross-cultural and cross-context transitions
· Identity, belonging, and mental health
· Family, peer, school, and community support
· Institutional support and service accessibility
· Digital and online support systems
· Adaptability of mental health promotion and intervention
· Comparative, longitudinal, and mixed-method studies
· Anxiety, burnout, depression, belonging, resilience, physical disorder

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