Journal profile · Multiple
Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health
ISSN 0957-9664 · eISSN 1471-2857 · Wiley-Blackwell
Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health: CAS Zone 4 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.79; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,570; median 220 days to acceptance (70 articles, last 24 months); acceptance rate 40% (journal website); 54 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health is published by Wiley-Blackwell and is in Zone 4 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending, Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis and Child Abuse and Trauma, together about 37.2% of its articles. Its main subfields are Clinical Psychology and Sociology and Political Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Criminal Behaviour & Mental Health – CBMH – aims to publish original material on any aspect of the relationship between mental state and criminal behaviour. Thus, we are interested in mental mechanisms associated with offending, regardless of whether the individual concerned has a mental disorder or not. We are interested in factors that influence such relationships, and particularly welcome studies about pathways into and out of crime. These will include studies of normal and abnormal development, of mental disorder and how that may lead to offending for a subgroup of sufferers, together with information about factors which mediate such a relationship. We are particularly keen to attract treatment studies and studies evaluating the impact of a range of interventions and new services designed to increase public safety as well as the safety and well-being of the perpetrators of crime and their victims. CBMH welcomes a wide range of methodologies and formats. Both qualitative and quantitative research is welcomed, from both laboratory and field conditions, as are systematic reviews. Case histories are not excluded, but have to be presented with the same theoretical and methodological rigour as any other research considered acceptable for publication. Potential authors are referred to the guidance for authors for further information about requirements on length, style, format and ethical issues. CBMH should be of interest to clinical and non-clinical practitioners working with offenders with and without identified mental disorder. University students and researchers in clinical disciplines and in non-clinical disciplines such as criminology and law should find the material particularly useful. CBMH would also be useful for policy makers and government departments.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Multiple
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 2%); most named United Kingdom 20, United States 7, Canada 3, Australia 3, Germany 2 (43 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual OffendingPsychology21.7%
- Criminal Justice and Corrections AnalysisSocial Sciences8.1%
- Child Abuse and TraumaPsychology7.4%
- Crime Patterns and InterventionsSocial Sciences7.1%
- Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentPsychology5.7%
- Schizophrenia research and treatmentMedicine5.3%
- Personality Disorders and PsychopathologyPsychology5%
- Healthcare Decision-Making and RestraintsPsychology4.8%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Criminology & Penology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Psychiatry | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Criminology & Penology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Psychiatry | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Criminology & Penology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Psychiatry | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
MEDLINEPubMedEmbasePsycINFOCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: EBSCO, ProQuest
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 1.79LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 1.9Publisher website ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.4LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 2.4Publisher website ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 2.4Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.53LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.88LetPub ·
- h-index
- 83OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 647OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.52OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 57.45%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 31LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher) 2025
- 42Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 143,193Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,898 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 34 | 17 | 5 |
| 2025 | 54 | 31 | 46 |
| 2024 | 44 | 25 | 150 |
| 2023 | 50 | 34 | 182 |
| 2022 | 44 | 12 | 212 |
| 2021 | 43 | 20 | 240 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
220 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 111 days – 381 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 15 days (70 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 232 days
- Sample
- 70 articles with submission and acceptance dates (88 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 40%Publisher website ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher) 2025
- 40%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 21 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 21 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance 2025
- 136 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication 2025
- 16 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,570 / EUR 3,000 / GBP 2,380 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare3 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 3,000 words
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
Article types accepted4
- brief reportArticle type Word limit Abstract Research Article 3000 (not including title, abstract, references and tables and figure) Maximum of 4 tables or figures Structur…Length not stated
- hypothesisArticle type Word limit Abstract Research Article 3000 (not including title, abstract, references and tables and figure) Maximum of 4 tables or figures Structur…Length not stated
- research articleArticle type Word limit Abstract Research Article 3000 (not including title, abstract, references and tables and figure) Maximum of 4 tables or figures Structur…Length not stated
- reviewArticle type Word limit Abstract Research Article 3000 (not including title, abstract, references and tables and figure) Maximum of 4 tables or figures Structur…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship, Publication ethics, Peer review
- Authorship
No submission fees Model summary
This journal does not charge submission fees.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics 4. EDITORIAL POLICIES AND ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
Peer Review and AcceptanceThe acceptance criteria for all papers are the quality and originality of the research and its significance to journal readership. Except where otherwise stated, manuscripts are single-anonymous peer reviewed. Papers will only be sent to review if the Editor-in-Chief determines that the paper meets the appropriate quality and relevance requirements.In-house submissions, i…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Single-anonymous peer review Model summary
Except where otherwise stated, manuscripts are single-anonymous peer reviewed.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell
- ISSN
- 0957-9664
- Electronic ISSN
- 1471-2857
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 36, Issue 4 (August 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health
What CAS zone is Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health is in Zone 4 of Medicine, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Criminology & Penology / Psychiatry. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.79; CiteScore 2.4, h-index 83.
How long does peer review take at Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health?
Based on the dates recorded on 70 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 220 days (interquartile range 111–381 days); the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 40% (2025). Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Manuscript length: ≤ 3,000 words; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health based?
Of the 43 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 2%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United Kingdom (20), United States (7) and Canada (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health is indexed in SSCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health open access, and what is the APC?
Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,570.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .