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Patterns of articles published in the Journal of Mental Health Counseling (JMHC) from 1994 through 2009 were reviewed. Characteristics of authors (e.g., sex, employment setting, nation of domicile) and articles (e.g., topic, type, design, sample, sample size, participant type, statistical procedures and sophistication) are described and analyzed for trends over time.
The Journal of Mental Health Counseling (JMHC) is the premier journal of the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA). The journal is published quarterly. Each issue provides counseling practitioners and researchers with insightful articles regarding the latest practice, theory, and research in mental health counseling (AMHCA, 2011). The journal was first published in 1979 as the American Mental Health Counselors Association Journal; it was renamed the Journal of Mental Health Counseling in 1987. Throughout its 32-year lifespan, the journal has been edited by eight individuals: Bill Weikel (1979-1981); James D. Wiggins (1982-1984); Linda Seligman (1985-1987); Lawrence Gerstein (1988-1993); Earl Ginter (1993-1996); Kevin R. Kelly (1996-2002); M. Carol Pistole (2002-2005); and James Rogers (July 2005-201 1). Under their dedicated leadership, the JMHC has become a widely read source of scholarly information about the practice of mental health counseling.
The past 30 years have ushered in myriad changes to the mental health field, and mental health counseling in general has changed dramatically since the journal's inception. One of the most notable recent changes is the licensing of mental health counselors in all 50 states. The JMHC provided ample information on the licensing movement and, scanning the journal, it is quickly apparent that the editors have covered other major changes in the provision of mental health services throughout the years. Examples are changes related to managed care (e.g., Danzinger & Welfel, 2001; Lawless, Ginter, & Kelly, 1999); the pharmaceutical industry (e.g., Murray, 2009); client diagnosis (e.g., Feisthamel & Schwartz, 2009; Seligman, 1999); and the use of technology in mental health services (e.g., Bradley, Hendricks, Lock, Whiting, & Parr, 2011; Riemer-Reiss, 2000). Because the content of the journal has evolved to reflect significant issues in the profession, it is important to periodically assess such changes to ensure that over time it is adjusting to professional trends in the field, meeting the needs of mental health practitioners and researchers, and addressing societal concerns (Charkow & Juhnke, 2001; Williams...