Abstract
This issue of Society and Mental Health (SMH) marks the end of my term as editor. The past five years have been an exciting time. With the strong support of the American Sociological Association (ASA), the Section on the Sociology of Mental Health, and the many scholars who have submitted manuscripts or served as reviewers, the journal has had a strong start.
As any editor of a peer-reviewed journal will testify, the content of a journal is influenced most significantly by the kinds of manuscripts that are submitted to it. In this regard, SMH is fortunate to have received papers on a wide array of topics, and these papers have employed a range of methods. I believe the results speak for themselves: SMH has published articles on the utilization of mental health services, societal responses to mental illness, stress process and life course analyses of social patterns of mental health and illness, and examinations of inequality and mental health. It has published theoretical articles as well as empirical papers, including state-of-the-art quantitative techniques, qualitative analyses, and mixed-methods approaches. The range of topics and approaches in the sociology of mental health as reflected in Society and Mental Health has been remarkable.
The early success of this journal is due in large part to the important contributions of a number of people. Throughout the past five years, Gale Cassidy has been a most effective managing editor. Her efforts have been crucial to the successful launch of the journal as well as to its ongoing daily efficiencies. Gale has had a very significant role with SMH, and I am extremely pleased to announce that she has agreed to stay on as managing editor.
During the publication of the first four volumes of SMH, the staff at Sage has been very helpful in ensuring that the journal has been published on time and with a professional layout. Most recently, our senior project editor at Sage has been Kathryn Journey.
My initial proposal to edit Society and Mental Health involved three deputy editors: Carol Aneshensel, Carol Boyer, and Scott Schieman. They were extremely helpful to me in shaping the editorial scope and setting standards for the journal in its first three years. Later, Mark Tausig and Kristi Williams also served as deputy editors. I want to express my gratitude to all of these individuals for their work on the journal and for the intellectual support and advice I have received from them.
During my term as editor, two good friends of the sociology of mental health passed away. Both Len Pearlin and Howard Kaplan served on the SMH editorial board during its initial year of publication; both provided me with mentorship concerning the appropriate roles and activities of an editor. I treasure the advice and support that they provided me. I miss both of them.
I also wish to acknowledge the contributions provided by the associate editors and ad hoc reviewers who have all given so freely of their time and have so kindly tolerated my repeated requests and reminders. The quality of papers published in Society and Mental Health has been enhanced by your reviews that are at the heart of the peer review process.
The American Sociological Association’s support for Society and Mental Health has been essential to its early success. Karen Edwards has always been extraordinarily helpful to me. Her knowledge of ASA procedures and the publishing enterprise has been a major contribution to the journal. So, too, has been the ongoing support from the Section on the Sociology of Mental Health and its council members. The decision to launch a journal in a relatively small section was a bold move that has highlighted the vibrant scholarship that is produced by our section’s members.
We are very fortunate that Elaine Wethington is taking over as editor. Elaine has worked closely with Gale Cassidy and me to make the transition to her editorship seamless. I am confident that her leadership will propel the journal forward.
I look forward to reading future issues of Society and Mental Health. I encourage you to continue your support of the journal by submitting manuscripts, reviewing others’ submissions, and subscribing to SMH. Thank you for the opportunity you have given me to contribute to the sociology of mental health.