Translational Developmental Psychiatry

About

Translational Developmental Psychiatry (TDP) is a peer reviewed open access journal providing a platform for the rapid exchange of high-quality scientific knowledge and research findings among professionals in the field of developmental psychiatry.

TDP publishes innovative original research articles, reviews and annotations, mini reviews, perspective and hypothesis papers, debate articles, case reports and letters to the editor covering translational aspects of psychiatric disorders from a developmental viewpoint across the lifespan. In this context of development, the research should cover one or several (preferred) age groups, ranging from infancy over to childhood and adolescence, or even youth and adulthood.

What is different about TDP?

The specific aims of TDP are to not only to publish research in developmental psychiatry, but TDP also aims to provide a forum for concepts and ideas about ways how the obtained findings are actually going to make a real difference in daily practice (both clinically and in research settings). Following this train of thought, it is important to understand how new research findings and clinical implications might be tested further in the future, how they could be implemented in other settings, and / or how they could be monitored as regards outcomes. Further relevant questions might deal with the issue how to obtain further evidence for an intervention, as well as the discussion of a potential interdisciplinary meaning of a research finding.

Example: A study based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in a particular group of patients compared to controls found a brain area to be more activated during a specific cognitive process throughout development. Consequently, the relevance of this finding for practice should be reflected. For instance, one could think about implications or scenarios in regard to patient education about the particular disorder, the exploration of related neurocircuitries and how these findings might be used as a guide to develop novel interventions (for example drug development or other interventions). It is important to notion that the outlined approach is not exclusive to biologically-based interventions, but could also be applied to psychological or social findings and intervention strategies.

Pilot studies

Studies using a pilot approach (i.e. such as feasibility studies) are also welcomed to be submitted to TDP based on the understanding that this kind of research may guide future directions for large scale studies and interventions. For such studies it is important for the authors to point out the feasibility of the research undertaken, and how possible changes or modifications may enhance future research endeavours in the field of the study.

Culture of debate and discussion

TDP welcomes commentaries and debates about articles published in the journal as well as timely discussions of current hot topics in the field of developmental psychiatry. It is the aim to create a culture of respectful debate and discussion, putting the patients’ and families’ best interests at the centre of all endeavours.

Translational

Along these lines, the term “translational” means that research results to be published in TDP need to be relevant to human psychopathology and patient care. Furthermore, these results should have the potential to be “translated” or implemented into new clinical and scientific knowledge and hence into potentially new diagnostic approaches and treatment modalities or interventions. Animal research related to mental health as well as studies in individuals of all ages are of interest as long as a developmental and, above all, a translational perspective is provided.

Negative findings

TDP also welcomes research papers showing negative findings as such results are of equal importance when compared with positive results, and can also advance the knowledge in the field of child and adolescent mental health.

Manuscript structure

Articles submitted to TDP should be structured in the following order:

1. Title page, including all authors, their affiliations, word count (abstract, main text), number if tables and number of figures, the abstract (400 words max.) as well as the contact details of the corresponding author.

2. Translation into practice

 Authors are required to provide 3-5 key statements (3-5 sentences each) with the aim to describe and highlight how their research has the potential to make a meaningful difference.

3. Introduction

4. Methods

5. Results

6. Discussion  The last part of discussion should also comprise a section on translation into practice. Here, the authors need to describe and highlight how their research has the potential to make a meaningful difference.

7. Summary  Key points for professionals and for the public should be highlighted.

Open access

Using an open access publication model, TDP aims to make innovative research widely, rapidly, and freely available to the developmental psychiatry community and beyond, in particular to researchers from countries without the funds required for costly journal subscriptions.

Social media

Upon acceptance of an article, the authors are asked (but not obliged) to give a short video (or audio) presentation of their work comparable to a short poster presentation at a scientific meeting (three to five minutes max.). By means of this short presentation, authors are able to better capture the interest of readers browsing through the journal’s content on the internet.