Identifying the prerequisites, facilitators, and barriers in improving adolescents’ mental health literacy interventions: A systematic review

The present study aimed at identifying the prerequisites, facilitators, and barriers to adolescent mental health literacy interventions. To that end, databases PsycINFO, Science Direct, Scopus, Emerald, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were systematically searched, out of which 39 articles that had the inclusion criteria were analyzed by the content analysis. Databases searched from September 30, 2018, to October 10, 2018, with the keywords “health literacy,” “mental health literacy,” “mental disorders,” adolescents, students, and more. Seven themes were identified as the prerequisites for interventions to improve adolescents’ mental health literacy including education at the school level, parents’ education, training of trainers and providers, cooperation and participation among providers, intervention assessment and monitoring, provision of educational content, consideration of the cultural and linguistic issues. Five themes were identified as facilitators: using interactive learning and teaching methods, supplying diverse and stimulating educational content, employing trainers with different backgrounds, having direct contact with people with mental illness, and utilizing technological advancements in education. Finally, short-time intervention, the collaboration between school administrators and researchers, lack of valid information sources were identified as barriers.