Open Access Statement

The Archives of Psychiatry and Mental Health (APMH) is a fully open-access journal dedicated to ensuring that all published research is available to readers worldwide without financial, legal, or technical barriers. As reflected in the predecessor website’s commitment to public availability of articles and global knowledge sharing, APMH upholds a modern, compliant, and transparent open-access publishing model aligned with global standards such as DOAJ, Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI), Plan S principles, and Creative Commons licensing practices.

Our Open-Access Philosophy

APMH believes that free and unrestricted access to research accelerates scientific advancement, strengthens clinical practice, enhances public health decision-making, and fosters equitable knowledge exchange. Mental health research—especially in child, adolescent, and developmental contexts—must be readily available to researchers, practitioners, educators, policy makers, families, and communities regardless of geographic or economic boundaries.

  • No subscription fees: Readers never pay to read or download content.
  • No institutional access restrictions: Libraries are not required to purchase access packages.
  • Unlimited usage rights: Research may be shared, reused, adapted, and redistributed under the journal’s Creative Commons license.
  • Permanent availability: Open-access copies remain archived indefinitely.

Creative Commons Licensing (CC BY 4.0)

All articles published in APMH are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). This is the most permissive and widely recognized license for scholarly open access publishing.

Under CC BY 4.0, users are free to:
  • Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
  • Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, including commercial use.
Provided that appropriate credit is given to the original authors and source.

This license promotes innovation, enables educators to incorporate findings into teaching materials, allows practitioners to apply insights in clinical care, and empowers researchers to extend prior work through replication and further study.

Copyright Ownership

APMH follows an author-centered copyright model:

  • Authors retain full copyright of their published content.
  • Authors grant the journal a non-exclusive license to publish, distribute, and index their work.
  • The final published version remains permanently accessible under the CC BY 4.0 license.

This policy ensures that authors maintain ownership and control of their intellectual contributions while enabling broad dissemination.

Benefits of Open Access Publishing

Open access offers several advantages for authors, readers, and the broader mental health community:

  • Increased visibility: Articles receive more exposure, especially in regions where subscription costs limit access.
  • Higher citation potential: Studies consistently show that open-access articles are cited more frequently.
  • Global equity: Researchers in low- and middle-income countries benefit from unrestricted access.
  • Rapid dissemination: Findings reach clinicians and policymakers without delay.
  • Support for interdisciplinary research: Educators, sociologists, neuroscientists, and public health professionals can freely consult APMH literature.

Reader Rights

Readers of APMH may:

  • Search, read, download, copy, distribute, print, and link to full-text articles.
  • Use text or data mining tools for analysis.
  • Share work with colleagues or students without restriction.
  • Create derivative works or translations, with attribution.

No permission is required for any lawful reuse covered under CC BY 4.0.

Author Rights

Authors publishing with APMH enjoy:

  • Full copyright ownership.
  • Right to deposit any article version (submitted, accepted, published) in institutional or subject repositories.
  • Right to share articles freely on personal or professional websites.
  • Right to reuse their content in books, teaching materials, or presentations.

These rights contribute to expanded scholarly influence and long-term career visibility.

Article Processing Charges (APC)

To support open-access publishing costs—including editorial workflows, peer review administration, DOI registration, digital preservation, and platform maintenance—APMH applies an Article Processing Charge (APC). APC details are available in the Charges Policy page. Importantly:

  • APC payment does not influence editorial decisions.
  • Waivers or discounts may be available for authors with financial constraints.
  • The APC ensures perpetual open-access availability for all published articles.

Open Access and Indexing

Open access enhances the discoverability of research in global indexing databases, including:

  • Google Scholar
  • Crossref
  • Index Copernicus
  • WorldCat
  • Dimensions
  • Semantic Scholar

Harvesting through OAI-PMH ensures even broader reach among academic repositories.

Open Access and Ethical Publication Practices

APMH follows ethical practices to ensure transparency and integrity in open-access publishing:

  • Clear and visible licensing information on all article pages.
  • Transparent disclosure of APCs and waiver options.
  • Strict anti-plagiarism and research ethics policies.
  • Editorial independence from financial considerations.
  • Compliance with international ethical bodies (COPE, ICMJE, WAME).

These safeguards ensure that open access enhances—not compromises—scholarly quality.

Repository and Self-Archiving Policy

In alignment with green open-access principles:

  • Authors may deposit any version of their manuscript (submitted, accepted, final published).
  • Deposits may be made in institutional repositories, subject repositories, or personal websites.
  • No embargo applies.
  • Authors should include a citation to the published version and DOI.

This policy supports widespread visibility and long-term preservation.

Real-World Scenario

Scenario: A school psychologist in Kenya searches for evidence-based interventions for adolescent anxiety. They find an APMH article through Google Scholar, download the full-text PDF freely, present the findings to local educators, and adapt the intervention for their community. Because the article is open access, teachers and clinicians across the region can use and distribute the material without any licensing barriers.

Open access transforms individual research contributions into globally shared knowledge.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do readers ever pay for access?
No. All APMH articles are freely available to everyone.
Q: Are APCs required?
Yes, to support open-access infrastructure, but waivers are available.
Q: Can I reuse APMH articles in teaching?
Yes, with attribution—CC BY 4.0 permits educational reuse.
Q: Can commercial entities reuse content?
Yes, provided attribution is maintained.
Q: Can authors store articles in repositories?
Yes, all versions may be archived without embargo.

Conclusion

The open-access model embraced by APMH reflects its foundational belief: that scientific knowledge—especially in mental health domains touching children, adolescents, and families—must be universally accessible. By combining Creative Commons licensing, ethical rigor, transparent APC practices, and comprehensive repository support, APMH ensures that research published today remains available, reusable, and impactful for generations.