Submissions

Author Guidelines

(last updated 2025-12-31)

Technical Requirements

1. Editable file, only with the text of the original, in Word, typed single-spaced, Verdana font, size 14, with pages numbered in Arabic numerals, beginning each section on a new page, in this sequence: title, abstract and keywords [in Portuguese, English and Spanish], text beginning with the Introduction, acknowledgements,  references, tables, with respective titles [top] and figures with legends [bottom].

2. All data on the author(s) should be filled in by the depositing author on the OJS submission form and should not be included in the original submission file. It is mandatory to fill in and deposit this form right after sending the submitted file. This form will also serve as a draft to fill in all submission data in OJS.

3. All authors should be registered in OJS with:

• authors' full names, without abbreviations
• academic or institutional affiliations, in the Biography field of the form, in this order: full name of the institution/company, SIGLA, city, state abbreviation, country. Ex: Antonio Geraldo da Silva - Brazilian Association of Psychiatry, ABP, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
• The depositing author must include co-author(s) - [one by one] - typing full name, no abbreviations, affiliation, role, e-mail, links of Lattes Curriculum and ORCID
• must then click on this option: send e-mail to request ORCID authorization
• ORCID iD not authenticated! Please request authentication of the contributor.

 Send e-mail to request contributor ORCID authorization

• when the co-author(s) validate their ORCID(s), the other fields will be automatically filled in with the data of the owner of that ORCID
• mark which will be the corresponding author

4. originals in Portuguese, English or Spanish are accepted, if the titles, abstracts, and keywords are also indicated in the other two languages

5. Submissions published in repositories of preprints [SciELO, EmeRI etc.] and/or academic social networks [Figshare, ResearchGate, Academia.edu etc.] are accepted, provided that the DOI of the document previously published in these repositories is provided, without peer review

6. Check the submission form for permission to reproduce the patient's photographic, audio, or video material, or taken from another author, approving the use of these files in scientific journals. It is the responsibility of the author(s) to publish only images, audios, and videos, released for public access, or with the express written authorization of the patient(s). If there is an authorization from the patient, deposit the additional document, right after the submission of the original

7. It is mandatory to attach, upon submission, the protocol number of approval document from the Research Ethics Committee (CEP) where the research was carried out, when the original contains research with human beings, including case report and case series modalities. This requirement is supported by Resolution 466 of December 12, 2022 of the National Health Council and Circular Letter no. 166/2018-CONEP/SECN/MS.

8. It is necessary to attach, upon submission, the document in item 2 filled with the submission data and all authors. All persons designated as authors must have participated sufficiently in the work to assume public responsibility for its content. Authorship credit must be based on the CRediT Taxonomy. The CRediT Taxonomy stipulates 14 forms of collaboration, which must be attributed to the authors, according to their participation in the preparation of the document:

8.1 Conceptualization: Ideas; formulation or evolution of overarching research goals and aims.

8.2 Data curation: Management activities to annotate (produce metadata), scrub data and maintain research data (including software code, where it is necessary for interpreting the data itself) for initial use and later re-use.

8.3 Formal analysis: Application of statistical, mathematical, computational, or other formal techniques to analyze or synthesize study data.

8.4 Funding acquisition: Acquisition of the financial support for the project leading to this publication.

8.5 Investigation: ​Conducting a research and investigation process, specifically performing the experiments, or data/evidence collection.

8.6 Methodology: Development or design of methodology; creation of models.

8.7 Project administration: Management and coordination responsibility for the research activity planning and execution.

8.8 Resources: Provision of study materials, reagents, materials, patients, laboratory samples, animals, instrumentation, computing resources, or other analysis tools.

8.9 Software: Programming, software development; designing computer programs; implementation of the computer code and supporting algorithms; testing of existing code componentes.

8.10 Supervision: Oversight and leadership responsibility for the research activity planning and execution, including mentorship external to the core team.

8.11 Validation: Verification, whether as a part of the activity or separate, of the overall replication/reproducibility of results/experiments and other research outputs.

8.12 Visualization: Preparation, creation and/or presentation of the published work, specifically visualization/data presentation.

8.13 Writing – original draft: ​Preparation, creation and/or presentation of the published work, specifically writing the initial draft (including substantive translation).

8.14 Writing – proofreading & editing: Preparation, creation and/or presentation of the published work by those from the original research group, specifically critical review, commentary or revision – including pre- or post-publication stages.

9. If the total number of authors exceeds eight, the depositing author must justify this in the comments to editor field of the OJS submission form.

10. The inclusion of a new author after the first review by the referees will not be allowed. If necessary, he may be named in the acknowledgements section.

Form and preparation of manuscripts

 The guidelines of Debates in Psychiatry are based on the format proposed by the ICMJE - International Committee of Medical Journal Editors - Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly work in Medical Journals [December 2019] - with translation into Portuguese in 2014

GENERAL STRUCTURE OF THE ORIGINAL TO BE SUBMITTED BY THE OJS SYSTEM

1. Initial page of the original should contain only the following data:

1.1 title of the original in Portuguese, English and Spanish, which should be concise but informative;

1.2 short title, in the language of the text, with up to 50 characters;

1.3 title should be written in lower case, except for the first letter, proper names or acronyms

1.4 identify the type of submission: original article, review article, etc.

2. Abstract and descriptors:

2.1 The second page must contain the structured abstract [introduction, objective, method, results, conclusion], in Portuguese, English and Spanish, with a maximum of 250 words. The abstract aims to provide a clear overview of the main parts of the work, highlighting the most significant data, new aspects of the content and conclusions of the work. Symbols, formulas, equations, and abbreviations should not be used.

2.2 Below the abstract, specify three (3) to five (5) descriptors/keywords that define the subject of the work.

2.3 The descriptors must be based on the DeCS (Descriptors in Health Sciences) published by Bireme. Copy and paste your abstract, in one of the three languages [Portuguese, English and Spanish, into this link, to select the most accurate, corresponding descriptors in the three languages. Terms in natural language may also be added.

3. Text:

3.1 Should obey the structure required for each type of paper.

3.2 Abbreviations should be avoided. When it is necessary to use acronyms, they must be preceded by the full term in full when it first appears in the text.

3.3 Citations should be referenced in the text in sequential numerical order, with Arabic numerals in brackets, avoiding the authors' names. If they are sequential, they should be separated by hyphens [3-5]. If they are random, they should be separated by commas [1,3,5]. The numbers of the citations in the text should be hyperlinked to the respective references

3.4 Author et al. [3] may be used in the text - the references should include all authors, so that the citations are counted for all of them

3.5 Introduction: must contain a brief description of the relevance of the subject studied the objective of the study and a brief review of the literature that is directly related to the subject

3.6 Methods: must describe the model of the study, indicating which statistical instrument was used to analyze the results and describing the tests used and the value considered significant. If hypothesis testing was not used, specify how the results will be presented

3.7 Results: must be presented in a logical, sequential, clear, and concise manner. Tables, figures, and charts must be directly related to the text

3.8 Discussion: the discussion will be limited to the results obtained, highlighting the agreement or disagreement with the data present in the literature, emphasizing its importance and significance, highlighting any limitations and, if possible, what future expectations the studied theme allows

3.9 Conclusions: presented in one paragraph, with up to 10 lines, limited to the data obtained.

4. Acknowledgments:

4.1 includes collaborations by people who deserve recognition but do not warrant inclusion as authors

4.2 acknowledgements for financial support, technical assistance, among others

5. References:

5.1 Any standard will be accepted. Preferably the presentation should conform to the Vancouver style established in NLM's International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals: Sample References. Some examples of the main templates are presented below.

5.2 Journal titles should be abbreviated according to the style adopted in the MEDLINE database (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog/journals).

5.3 They should be numbered consecutively, in the same order they were cited in the text

5.4 Personal communications, unpublished works or works in progress, and other unpublished works may be cited when absolutely necessary but should not be included in the list of references, but only cited in the text or in a footnote.

5.5 All authors must be listed in the reference. Do not use et al. in references.

Examples of references:

Journal Article without DOI and without URL

Boyer V. Ethnoterritorial reconfigurations of social conflicts: from cultural difference to political fragmentation (Brazilian Amazonia). Sociol Anthropol. 2017; 7:395-428.

Journal Article with DOI

Naghavi M, Abajobir AA, Abbafati C. Global, regional, and national age-sex specific mortality for 264 causes of death, 1980-2016: a systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2016. The Lancet. 2017;390 (10100):1151–210. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32152-9.

Journal article without DOI and with URL

Soares Filho AM, Duarte EC, Merchan-Hamann E. Trend and distribution of homicide mortality rate according to population size of municipalities in Brazil, 2000 and 2015. Cien Saude Colet. 2018. http://www.cienciaesaudecoletiva.com.br/artigos/tendencia-e-distribuicao-da-taxa-de-mortalidade-por-homicidios-segundo-porte-populacional-dos-municipios-do-brasil-2000-e-2015/16900?id=16900. Accessed 11 Dec 2018.

Book

Laranjeira R, Pinsky I. Alcoholism: myths and truths. São Paulo: Context; 1997.

Book Chapter

Cantilino A, Sougey EB. Psychopharmacology during pregnancy and lactation. In: Sena EP, Miranda-Scippa AM, Quarantini LC, Oliveira IR, editores. Psicofarmacologia clínica. 3rd ed. Rio de Janeiro: MedBook; 2010. p. 575-84.

No author, entry by title

21st century heart solution may have a sting in the tail. BMJ. 2002;325(7357):184.

Preprints

Rupprecht C. Ready for more-than-human? Urban residents' willingness to coexist with animals and plants. Version: 1. SocArXiv [Preprint]. [posted 2016 Jul 13; revised 2016 Dec 07; cited 2017 Feb 15]: [22 p.]. Available from: https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/hbcmz/

Conference Papers

Verztman, JS. Comparison between melancholic patients and patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. In: XXII Brazilian Congress of Psychiatry; 2004; Salvador, BA, Brazil. Rio de Janeiro: ABP; 2004.

Dissertation, Thesis, and Course Completion Paper

Cantarelli A. Language: which organ is this? [monograph]. São Paulo: CEFAC - Health and Education; 1998.

Electronic document with URL

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Ear infections (otitis media) [Internet]. [cited 2014 Sep 04]. http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/O

Official publication without DOI and URL

Brazil. Decree No. 9.685 of January 15, 2019. Amends Decree No. 5,123, of July 1, 2004, which regulates Law No. 10,826, of December 22, 2003, which provides for the registration, possession, and sale of firearms and ammunition, on the National Weapons System - SINARM, and defines crimes. DOU de 15.1.2019 - N° 10-A Extra Edition.

Official publication without DOI and with URL

United Nations (UN). Feminicide rate in Brazil is fifth highest in the world; national guidelines seek solution. 2016. https://nacoesunidas.org/onu-feminicidio-brasil-quinto-maior-mundo-diretrizes-nacionais-buscam-solucao/. Accessed 1 Feb 2017.

6. Tables

6.1 Each table must be posted in a separate file and numbered consecutively in Arabic numerals in the order they were cited in the text. They should be self-explanatory, with no need to refer to the text or other tables.

6.2 The title must come in the upper part and, below each table, in the same alignment as the title, there must be a legend, used statistical tests (test name and p value), and the source from which the information was obtained (when not from the author himself).

6.3 Additional explanations to tables should be presented as footnotes, identified by the following symbols, in this sequence: *, †, ‡, §, ||, ¶, **, ††, etc.

6.4 Optionally the author can record an explanatory audio file for each table, in MP3, and upload it in the system, after uploading the original text, as an additional file.

7. Figures (graphics, photographs, illustrations etc.)

7.1 They must be deposited in separate files and numbered consecutively, in Arabic numerals, in the order they were cited in the text and in JPG [Graphics Interchange Format].

7.2 They must be in high resolution, that is, with at least 300 dpi

7.3 The legends should be clearly described below the figures

7.4 The graphs, preferably, should be presented in the form of columns.

7.5 Reproductions of illustrations already published must be accompanied by authorization

7.6 Black and white or color illustrations will be accepted

8. Audio and video files

8.1 Audio files will be accepted in MP3 format, already published in an audio repository [SoundCloud etc.]. Please provide URL and embed code

8.2 Video files in MP4 format will be accepted, already published in a video repository [YouTube, Vimeo etc.]. Please provide URL and embed code

9. Statistical analysis

9.1 Authors must demonstrate that the statistical procedures used were not only appropriate to test the hypotheses of the study, but also correctly interpreted

9.2 The levels of statistical significance (e.g., p < 0.05; p < 0.01; p < 0.001) should be mentioned

10. Abbreviations and Acronyms

10.1 should be preceded by the full name when cited for the first time. In the legends of tables and figures they should be accompanied by their full names. When present in tables and figures, abbreviations and acronyms should have their respective meanings in the legends. They should not be used in the title and abstract.

11. Name of medication

11.1 Always use the generic name.

12. Units

12.1 Values of physical quantities should be referred to in the standards of the International System of Units, available at: http://www.inmetro.gov.br/infotec/publicacoes/Si/si.htm

RULES FOR SENDING ARTICLES

Debates in Psychiatry is a continuous, open and free access publication from the Brazilian Psychiatric Association – ABP. Its mission is to publish quality articles within the scope of clinical aspects of Psychiatry, especially in the areas of clinical epidemiology, public health, psychiatric intervention in disasters and relevant mental health problems. Its focus is to offer ABP members, psychiatrists, residents, postgraduate students and specialists, quality information that complements their updating and continuing education.

Only original works, in Portuguese, English or Spanish, that have not been previously published, nor that are in the process of being analyzed by another journal, are accepted for consideration. Preprints are accepted. There are no submission or publication fees charged.

Original research articles, brief communications, review articles, update articles, letters to the editors,  case report and book reviews are accepted. Works that do not meet editorial standards will not be accepted for analysis and will be returned to the authors so that they can forward them again for consideration, after the necessary reformulations.

Peer Review Process

• After verification of formal and legal aspects, and pre-evaluation and approval by the Editorial Board, the originals will be sent to two reviewers for evaluation using a standard form, (double blind peer review), with anonymity being ensured during the judging process.
• The editors' final decision will be sent to the author(s), together with anonymous opinions (suggestions and/or criticisms). In cases where modifications are requested, authors must deposit the revised original in OJS, with the suggestions suggested by the reviewers, within 30 days, at most.
• They must access the magazine with their password, click on the active submissions link, and then on the send file option. They must post, in the comments field, in the registration of their article, point by point, the changes made
• Revised file and comments will be visible in the article record for editors, who will progress the submission in the editorial flow through the OJS system.

Sending the Original for Submission

• Documents must be submitted only through the OJS system
• The depositing author must also register his co-authors, one by one, indicating their full names, without abbreviations, affiliation, function, e-mails, Lattes CV URLs and ORCID, based on the complementary document that he must upload
• Co-authors must also validate their ORCID. To do this, the depositing author must click, when registering each co-author, on this option: send email to request ORCID authorization
• Author must inform whether they used generative AI to write the manuscript
  Generative AI is not an author. These tools should only be used to improve language and readability, with caution. If generative AI or AI-assisted technology was used, the author must include the following statement directly before the references at the end or in their manuscript:

Statement on Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in the Writing Process During the preparation of this work, the author(s) used [TOOL/SERVICE NAME] for [REASON]. After using this tool/service, the author(s) have reviewed and edited the content as necessary and take full responsibility for the content of the publication.

Types of Submissions (Please note that the rules are detailed in the respective Sections)

• Editorial: The editorials are thematic, covering topics of current interest. They are critical commentaries by experts, either invited or published by the Editors themselves.
• Original Articles: Articles intended to communicate results of original, unpublished research, clinical experiences, or other original contributions. In the case of experimental work, a structured abstract is required, i.e., it must include the following sections: introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion, conclusions, and optionally some acknowledgments. The abstract should have a maximum of 250 words and at least 3 keywords extracted from Descriptors in Health Sciences (DECs). The article title, abstract, and keywords must have versions in Portuguese, English, and Spanish, regardless of the language of the original text.
• Review article: Articles that constitute a critical evaluation of the literature on a current topic or one related to the progress of psychiatry. They may be purely narrative or systematic reviews.
• Update Articles: Articles intended to describe current information on a topic of interest to a particular specialty, a new technique, or method.
• Special Articles: Full articles, published at the invitation of the editors, on topics of interest to Psychiatry. They are evaluated only by the designated editor-in-chief.
• Case Report: Trabalhos contendo dados descritivos de um ou mais casos clínicos de grande interesse e/ou raros e que apresentem uma breve revisão da literatura sobre os aspectos clínicos e terapêuticos. 
  Cases referring to interventions (diagnostic or therapeutic) in humans
  will be accepted in accordance with guideline 7, which appears in the Guidelines for Authors: 7. It is mandatory to attach, upon submission, the number of protocol approval  from the Research Ethics Committee (CEP) where the research was carried out, when the original contains research with human beings, including case report and case series modalities. This requirement is supported by Resolution 466 of December 12, 2022 of the National Health Council and Circular Letter no. 166/2018-CONEP/SECN/MS.
• Brief Communication: Original  manuscripts intended to communicate short experiences or preliminary communications addressing fields of interest to Psychiatry. Up to 3 will be published per year. They will be evaluated only by the designated editor-in-chief.
• Letters: Communications aimed at discussing articles or topics published in Debates in Psychiatry, its editorial line, or other topics of scientific relevance. The authors of the cited articles will be invited to respond. Up to 3 will be published per year. They will be evaluated only by the designated editor-in-chief.
• Book reviews: Brief and critical reviews of books, from the current or previous year, of interest to the field of Psychiatry, which may give the reader an overview of the work. Up to 3 will be published per year. They will be evaluated only by the designated editor-in-chief.