Mental health literacy training interventions for future health professionals: An evidence and gap mapping scoping review

Abstract

Purpose This study examined the global landscape of mental health literacy (MHL) education for health professions students, focusing on publication trends, intervention designs, pedagogical approaches, MHL domains addressed, evaluation methods, and contextual influences. Methods Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, an Evidence and Gap Mapping (EGM) scoping review was conducted to identify and visually synthesize MHL education interventions. Searches were conducted in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCOhost (including CINAHL, PsycINFO, and ERIC), and APA PsycArticles (February 1997-May 2025). The included studies involved pre-licensure health professions students and implemented structured educational interventions explicitly targeting MHL domains. The data were extracted using a standardized framework and analyzed through descriptive synthesis and visual mapping to identify research clusters and gaps. PROSPERO registration: CRD420251050891. Results Fifty-five studies met the inclusion criteria for this review. Notably, the number of publications increased significantly after 2016, with most of the evidence coming from Europe, the Western Pacific, and the Americas, while representation from the African and Eastern Mediterranean regions was limited. Quasi-experimental designs were the most common, characterized by short-term, classroom-based interventions primarily targeting specific professions, particularly nursing and medicine. Although traditional didactic teaching methods remained prevalent, experiential strategies such as simulation, role-play, and reflective practices were increasingly adopted. Within the existing body of evidence, interventions predominantly emphasized knowledge, attitudes, and confidence, whereas skills development, behavioral change, self-awareness, and help-seeking were less consistently addressed. Furthermore, evaluations mostly relied on short-term, self-reported outcomes, with few studies examining behavioral change or long-term impacts. Conclusions MHL education for future health professionals is expanding but remains unevenly distributed, pedagogically conservative, and methodologically limited. Advancing the field will require longitudinal, theory-informed, and experiential approaches, stronger evaluation designs, integration of lived-experience perspectives, and targeted capacity-building in low- and middle-income settings.