Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing (IJHW) is an indexed and peer-reviewed journal published quarterly by the Indian Association of Health, Research, and Welfare (IAHRW). The IJHW aims to promote interdisciplinary research in health sciences and psychology by providing a platform for researchers, academicians and professionals to share knowledge and advancements in the field. The journal focuses on various areas including mental health, public health, alternative medicine, lifestyle diseases, health policies, and behavioral sciences. Its primary objective is to encourage evidence-based studies that contribute to the understanding and improvement of physical, mental and social wellbeing. Through rigorous peer-reviewed publications, it aims to influence policy-making and promote best practices in healthcare and psychological wellbeing. IJHW is indexed with EBSCOhost Connection Two, Academic Search Complete, The Belt and Road Initiative Reference Source,  Cogito Indexing Text, Academic Search Ultimate, Academic Search Main Edition, Biomedical Index, Google Scholar Crawl Database, SocINDEX with Full Text, Sociology Source Ultimate, ProQuest, ProQuest Central, Index Copernicus International, Google Scholar, USA Library, WorldCat, J-Gate, and Academic Search Premier. IJHW has been published regularly since 2010. The journal is a medium for empirical inquiry, theoretical papers, reviews, and applied and policy-related articles. The journal welcomes the submission of manuscripts that meet the general criteria of scientific excellence in the subfields of psychology, psychiatry, education, and other social and behavioral sciences.  

Journal ORCHID ID: 0000-0002-5342-3424

Editor-in-Chief: Sunil Saini, PhD

ORCHID ID: 0000-0002-5342-3424 

Editorial Office: 1245/4, Mohalla Sainian, Hisar, Haryana, India
Email: suneil.psy@gmail.com, iahrw2019@gmail.com
Phone: 9255442103
Publisher: IAHRW Publications Private Limited (IEC/PAN- AAECI2603L, dated 23.3.2019), Address: 1245/18, Mohalla Sainian, Hisar, Haryana, India

ISSN: 2229-5356 (print version)

ISSN: 2321-3698 (electronic version)

Frequency: Quarterly (March, June, September and December), Average time of publishing is 2-3 Months after submission. 

Indexing: EBSCOhost Connection Two, Academic Search Complete, The Belt and Road Initiative Reference Source,  Cogito Indexing Text, Academic Search Ultimate, Academic Search Main Edition, Biomedical Index, Google Scholar Crawl Database, SocINDEX with Full Text, Sociology Source Ultimate, ProQuest (Health and Medical Research Collection,  Health Research Premier Collection, ProQuest Central Essentials, ProQuest Central Premium,  ProQuest Central Student, ProQuest One Academy, ProQuest One Community College ), USA Library, Index Copernicus International, J-Gate, Academic Search Premier, National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) Rating 4.11

EDITORIAL BOARD

The journal actively promotes geographical diversity and international participation among editors, reviewers, and authors to strengthen its global academic reach and scholarly impact.

CHIEF EDITOR
Sunil Saini, PhD
Indian Association of Health Research and Welfare, Hisar, Haryana, India

ORCHID ID: 0000-0002-5342-3424

EDITORS

Dr. Akbar Husain, PhD
Department of Psychology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
ORCID ID: 0000-0003-2181-9528
Dr. Arun Kumar Jaiswal, PhD
Department of Psychology, Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith, Varanasi
ORCID ID: 0000-0003-4430-6063

Dr. C. R. Darolia, PhD

Department of Psychology, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-3282-2733 

Dr. Damanjit Sandhu, PhD
Department of Psychology, Punjabi University, Patiala
ORCID ID: 0000-0001-8368-0133

Dr. Gynesh Kumar TIwari, PhD
Department of Psychology, Manipur University, Manipur
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-6880-940X

Dr. Gopal Chandra Mahakud, PhD
Department of Applied Psychology, University of Delhi, New Delhi
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-0260-6554
Dr. Priyanka Anjan Rao, PhD
Department of Applied Psychology, University of Delhi, New Delhi
ORCID iD: 0009-0005-6451-1744

Dr. Sangeeta Trama, PhD
Department of Psychology, Punjabi University, Patiala
ORCID iD: 0009-0003-9257-8722

Dr. Surendra Kumar Sia, PhD
Department of Psychology, University of Delhi, New Delhi
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-5035-3256

Dr. Umesh Bhart, PhD
Department of Applied Psychology, University of Mumbai, Mumbai
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-5035-3256

Dr. Radhy Shyam, PhD, MD University, Rohtak

Dr. Sibnath Deb, PhD, Pondicherry University, Pondicherry

Reviewer’s Panel (2025-2026)

1. Prof. C R Darolia, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra

2. Prof. Arun Kumari Jaiswal, Former Prof. Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith, Varanasi

3. Prof. Sangeeta Trama, Punjabi University, Patiala

4. Prof. Surendra Kumar SIa, University of Delhi, Delhi

5.  Prof. Radhy Shyam, M D University, Rohtak

6. Prof. Sunita Malhotra, Former Prof. M D University, Rohtak

7. Prof. Alpana Vaidya, Symbiosis University, Pune

8. Prof. Sandeep Singh, G J U S & T, Hisar, Haryana

9.  Prof. Deepshikha Ray, Calcutta University, Kolkata

10. Dr. Umesh Bharte, University of Mumbai

11. Dr. Gopal Chandra, University of Delhi, Delhi

Reviewer Guidelines

The Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing (IJHW) relies on the expertise of reviewers to maintain the quality, integrity, and scientific rigor of published research. Reviewers are expected to evaluate manuscripts objectively, fairly, and confidentially. Reviews should focus on originality, scientific merit, methodology, ethical compliance, clarity of presentation, significance of findings, and relevance to the journal’s scope. Constructive comments should be provided to assist authors in improving their work. Reviewers should avoid personal criticism and support their recommendations with clear reasoning and evidence.

Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers are expected to:

• Maintain confidentiality of all manuscripts and related materials.
• Disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest.
• Conduct reviews objectively and professionally.
• Identify relevant published work not cited by the authors.
• Alert editors to suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, ethical concerns, or research misconduct.
• Submit reviews within the agreed timeframe.
• Refrain from using unpublished information obtained during peer review for personal advantage.

Editorial Office: 1245/18, Moh. Sainian, Hisar, Haryana, India

Email: suneil.psy@gmail.com,

Phone: 9255442103
Publisher: Indian Association of Health, Research and Welfare (IAHRW)

ISSN: 2229-5356 (print version)

ISSN: 2321-3698 (electronic version)

Frequency: Quarterly

Indexing: EBSCOhost Connection Two, Academic Search Complete, The Belt and Road Initiative Reference Source,  Cogito Indexing Text, Academic Search Ultimate, Academic Search Main Edition, Biomedical Index, Google Scholar Crawl Database, SocINDEX with Full Text, Sociology Source Ultimate, ProQuest (Health and Medical Research Collection,  Health Research Premier Collection, ProQuest Central Essentials, ProQuest Central Premium,  ProQuest Central Student, ProQuest One Academy, ProQuest One Community College ), USA Library, Index Copernicus International, J-Gate, Academic Search Premier, National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) Rating 4.

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Author Guidelines

About the Journal

The Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing (IJHW) is a peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary scholarly journal published quarterly by the Indian Association of Health, Research and Welfare (IAHRW). The journal publishes original research articles, review papers, case studies, brief reports, and theoretical contributions in the fields of health sciences, psychology, psychiatry, medicine, behavioral sciences, education, rehabilitation, social sciences, and related disciplines.

Manuscript Submission

Authors should submit manuscripts that are original, unpublished, and not under consideration by any other journal. Submission of a manuscript implies that all authors have approved the submission and agree to the journal’s publication policies.

Manuscripts should be prepared according to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), 7th Edition and submitted through the journal’s online submission system or designated editorial email.

Manuscript Preparation

Title Page

The title page should contain:

• Full title of the manuscript
• Names of all authors
• Institutional affiliations
• ORCID IDs (where available)
• Corresponding author’s email address and contact details
• Author contribution statement

Abstract

Provide a structured or unstructured abstract of 150–250 words summarizing the objectives, methodology, results, and conclusions.

Keywords

Provide 4–6 keywords suitable for indexing and retrieval purposes.

Main Text

Research articles should generally include:

• Introduction
• Objectives/Hypotheses
• Methodology
• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusion
• References

Tables and Figures

Tables and figures should conform to APA 7th edition formatting standards and be clearly numbered and cited within the text.

References

All references must follow APA 7th edition style and should include DOI information wherever available.

Peer Review Process

The journal follows a double-blind peer review process. All manuscripts undergo an initial editorial screening followed by review by at least two independent experts. The review process generally takes 4–8 weeks. Editorial decisions may include:

• Accept
• Accept with Minor Revisions
• Major Revisions Required
• Revise and Resubmit
• Reject

Author Contributions

Authors are encouraged to provide an Author Contributions Statement based on the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) framework, clearly indicating individual contributions to the research and manuscript preparation.

Data Availability Statement

Authors should include a statement describing the availability of research data supporting the findings of the study. Data may be publicly available, available upon reasonable request, or subject to restrictions.

Funding Information

All sources of financial support, grants, sponsorship, equipment, materials, or other assistance must be disclosed within the manuscript.

Conflict of Interest Declaration

Authors must disclose any financial, professional, institutional, or personal relationships that may influence the interpretation of the research findings.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Authors may use AI-assisted tools for language editing or technical support; however, AI systems cannot be listed as authors. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and ethical compliance of all submitted content. Any significant use of AI tools must be disclosed in the manuscript. The AI content should not be more than 15% as per Turnitin

Research Misconduct Policy

The journal does not tolerate any form of research or publication misconduct. Misconduct includes but is not limited to:

• Plagiarism
• Self-plagiarism
• Data fabrication
• Data falsification
• Citation manipulation
• Image manipulation
• Duplicate publication
• Ghost, guest, or gift authorship
• Undisclosed conflicts of interest

Allegations of misconduct will be investigated following COPE recommendations and may result in rejection, correction, retraction, or notification to the authors’ institutions.

Copyright and Permissions

Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce copyrighted material, including figures, tables, questionnaires, or extensive quotations. Appropriate acknowledgment must be provided.

Ethical Guidelines for Authors

Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must ensure that submitted manuscripts are original works. Plagiarism, self-plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, data falsification, citation manipulation, and image manipulation are strictly prohibited. The plagiarism should be below 10% as per Turnitin report.

Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication

Manuscripts submitted to IJHW should not be under consideration by another journal simultaneously. Duplicate or redundant publication is considered unethical and unacceptable.

Authorship Criteria

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to the conception, design, execution, analysis, interpretation, or reporting of the study. Guest, gift, honorary, and ghost authorship are not permitted.

Ethical Approval and Informed Consent

Research involving human participants or animals must receive approval from an appropriate Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC), Institutional Review Board (IRB), or equivalent authority. Authors should clearly state the approval details within the manuscript. Informed consent must be obtained from participants wherever applicable.

Confidentiality and Privacy

Authors must protect the privacy and confidentiality of research participants. Identifiable personal information should not be published without explicit written consent.

Research Integrity

Authors must accurately present their methods, data, analyses, and findings. Any errors discovered before or after publication should be promptly reported to the Editor for correction or retraction where necessary.

Data Sharing and Reproducibility

Authors should retain research data and make it available to editors or qualified researchers when requested, subject to ethical and legal considerations.

Clinical Trials

Clinical studies should comply with recognized ethical standards and include registration details of the clinical trial registry where applicable.

Corrections and Retractions

Authors have an obligation to cooperate with the journal in publishing corrections, corrigenda, errata, expressions of concern, or retractions when necessary to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.

Retraction, Correction, and Withdrawal Policy

The journal is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record. Published articles may be corrected, withdrawn, or retracted when necessary.

Corrections

Minor errors that do not affect the validity of the findings may be corrected through an erratum or corrigendum.

Retractions

Articles may be retracted due to plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, falsification, unethical research practices, significant errors, or other forms of scientific misconduct.

Article Withdrawal

Authors may request withdrawal of a manuscript before publication. Once published, withdrawal will only be considered under exceptional circumstances and in accordance with COPE guidelines.

Expressions of Concern

The journal may publish an Expression of Concern while allegations of misconduct are under investigation.

Author Appeals Policy

Authors who disagree with an editorial decision may submit a formal appeal to the Editor-in-Chief within 30 days of receiving the decision.

Appeals should:

• Clearly explain the grounds for appeal.
• Provide supporting evidence or clarification.
• Address reviewer comments where appropriate.

The appeal will be reviewed independently and, if necessary, additional expert opinions may be sought. The decision reached after the appeal review shall be final.

Compliance with COPE Guidelines

The Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing follows the principles and best practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and expects all authors to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity, transparency, and responsible research conduct.

Research Ethics

Human Participants

Research involving human participants must have prior approval from a recognized Institutional Ethics Committee or Institutional Review Board (IRB). Authors must confirm that informed consent was obtained from participants wherever applicable.

Animal Research

Studies involving animals must comply with institutional, national, and international ethical guidelines governing animal welfare and experimentation.

Clinical Research

Authors conducting clinical studies should provide details of trial registration and ethical approval where applicable.

Conflict of Interest Policy

Author Disclosure

Authors must disclose any financial, professional, institutional, or personal relationships that may influence the interpretation of their research findings.

Reviewer and Editor Disclosure

Editors and reviewers are required to declare any potential conflicts of interest and withdraw from the review or decision-making process whenever such conflicts exist.

Archiving

The publisher ensures electrornic backup of the published articles and website content regularly. All published articles are also being archived in concerned database.

Publishing Schedule

IJHW is published in both online and print version in March, June, September and December.  

Editorial Office: Sunil Saini, PhD, Editorial Office: 1245/18, Moh. Sainian, Hisar, Haryana, India

Email: suneil.psy@gmail.com, suneil@iahrw.org
Phone: 9255442103, 7988885490
Publisher: Indian Association of Health, Research and Welfare (IAHRW)

Peer Review Policy

The Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing (IJHW) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of scholarly publishing through a rigorous, fair, transparent, and timely peer review process. All manuscripts submitted to the journal are evaluated solely on their academic merit, originality, scientific quality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, and relevance to the journal’s scope.

Initial Editorial Screening

Upon submission, each manuscript undergoes an initial evaluation by the Editor-in-Chief or an assigned Editor. The manuscript is assessed for:

• Relevance to the aims and scope of the journal
• Originality and scholarly contribution
• Scientific and methodological quality
• Compliance with ethical standards
• Adherence to journal formatting and submission guidelines
• Completeness of required declarations and supporting documents

Manuscripts that do not meet these requirements may be returned to the authors without external review.

Plagiarism Screening

All submissions are screened using plagiarism detection software before entering the peer review process. The journal generally considers manuscripts with a similarity index of less than 20% (excluding references, quotations, and standard methodological descriptions) for further evaluation. Cases of suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, or research misconduct are handled according to the journal’s publication ethics policies and COPE guidelines.

Double-Blind Peer Review

The journal follows a double-blind peer review process, whereby the identities of authors and reviewers remain confidential throughout the review process. Manuscripts that successfully pass the initial screening are typically sent to two independent expert reviewers with recognized expertise in the relevant field.

In cases where reviewer recommendations differ substantially, or where additional expertise is required, the Editor may appoint a third reviewer.

Reviewer Evaluation Criteria

Reviewers are requested to evaluate manuscripts on the basis of:

• Originality and significance of the research
• Contribution to existing knowledge and theory
• Clarity of research objectives and hypotheses
• Appropriateness of research design and methodology
• Adequacy of data analysis and interpretation
• Ethical conduct of the research
• Quality of presentation and organization
• Adequacy of literature review and referencing
• Validity of conclusions and implications
• Overall suitability for publication

Reviewers are expected to provide objective, constructive, and evidence-based comments that assist both the authors and editors in improving manuscript quality.

Peer Review Timeline

The journal aims to complete the peer review process within 4–8 weeks from the date of submission. However, review times may vary depending on reviewer availability, manuscript complexity, and the extent of revisions required.

Reviewer Feedback and Author Revisions

Reviewer comments and recommendations are communicated to the corresponding author through the journal’s editorial system or official email communication. When revisions are requested, authors must submit:

• A revised manuscript with tracked or highlighted changes (where applicable)
• A detailed point-by-point response to each reviewer comment

Revised manuscripts may be returned to the original reviewers for further evaluation before a final decision is made.

Editorial Decisions

Based on reviewer recommendations and editorial assessment, one of the following decisions may be issued:

• Accept without Revision
• Accept with Minor Revisions
• Major Revisions Required
• Revise and Resubmit for Further Review
• Reject

The final publication decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief or designated Editorial Board members. Editorial decisions are based on the scientific merit, originality, methodological quality, ethical compliance, and relevance of the manuscript.

Reviewer Confidentiality

All manuscripts received for review are treated as confidential documents. Reviewers must not share, discuss, copy, or use any unpublished information obtained through the peer review process for personal advantage or for the benefit of others.

Conflict of Interest in Peer Review

Reviewers and editors must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that could influence their evaluation of a manuscript. Individuals with conflicts of interest will be recused from the review or editorial decision-making process.

Appeals and Complaints

Authors who disagree with an editorial decision may submit a formal appeal to the Editor-in-Chief, providing a detailed justification supported by evidence. Appeals will be reviewed independently, and the journal reserves the right to seek additional expert opinions when necessary.

Complaints concerning editorial processes, peer review, publication ethics, or professional conduct may be submitted to the editorial office at iahrw2019@gmail. com or suneil@iahrw.org. The journal aims to acknowledge complaints within seven working days and resolve them fairly, transparently, and confidentially.

Publication Ethics and COPE Compliance

The Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing follows internationally recognized standards of publication ethics and adheres to the principles and best practices recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Editors, reviewers, and authors are expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity, transparency, objectivity, and ethical conduct throughout the publication process.

The final decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief or the Editorial Board and is communicated to the corresponding author through email along with the relevant comments and recommendations.