Mental health literacy training interventions for future health professionals: An evidence and gap mapping scoping review
8 affiliations
- 1Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
- 2Zayed University, College of Interdisciplinary Studies, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- 3Nursing Department, Fatima College of Health Sciences, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
- 4Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Benha University, Banha, Egypt
- 5Department of Physiology, Benha University, Banha, Egypt
- 6Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Population Studies, and Health Promotion, Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
- 7Research group for health and wellbeing of women and children, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Jawa Timur, Indonesia
- 8Faculty of Medicine, Tbilisi State Medical University, Tbilisi, Georgia
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.
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BibTeX
@article{elkhalil2026mental,
title = {{Mental health literacy training interventions for future health professionals: An evidence and gap mapping scoping review}},
author = {Rouwida ElKhalil and Noon Alrabee and Anuradha P. Gaydhanker and Wafaa El Zaatari and Imad Maalouf and Mohammed AlMaqbali and Yasir Ahmed Mohammed Elhadi and Moustafa Sherif and Aya Darwish and Messaouda Belfakir and Eny Qurniyawati and Abdulsalam El Mikkawi and Mohamad AlMekkawi},
journal = {PLOS One},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0360403},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0360403},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Mental health literacy training interventions for future health professionals: An evidence and gap mapping scoping review
AU - Rouwida ElKhalil
AU - Noon Alrabee
AU - Anuradha P. Gaydhanker
AU - Wafaa El Zaatari
AU - Imad Maalouf
AU - Mohammed AlMaqbali
AU - Yasir Ahmed Mohammed Elhadi
AU - Moustafa Sherif
AU - Aya Darwish
AU - Messaouda Belfakir
AU - Eny Qurniyawati
AU - Abdulsalam El Mikkawi
AU - Mohamad AlMekkawi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/27
JO - PLOS One
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0360403
UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0360403
AB - 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.
SN - 1932-6203
ER -