Identifying core global mental health professional competencies: A multi-sectoral perspective

Area of Science:

• Global Mental Health (GMH)
• Public Health
• Health Workforce Development

Background:

• Global mental health (GMH) aims to reduce mental distress and promote health equity globally.
• The interdisciplinary nature of GMH requires diverse competency frameworks and training.
• Existing frameworks inadequately address the multi-sectoral and inter-professional aspects of GMH.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a comprehensive competency framework for contemporary GMH practice.
• To identify essential skills and competencies for a competent GMH workforce.
• To inform training, curriculum design, and capacity-building initiatives in GMH.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative content analysis of 70 job advertisements in GMH.
• Extraction and organization of approximately 200 distinct skills and competencies.
• Categorization into four meta-dimensions: skills, sector, self, and subject.

Main Results:

• A novel, multi-sectoral competency framework for GMH practice was developed.
• Identified overlooked competencies include resilience, self-reflection, political acumen, and entrepreneurialism.
• The framework highlights the need for diversified and future-proof skillsets in the GMH workforce.

Conclusions:

• The proposed framework is the first systematic attempt at a multi-sectoral GMH competency model.
• It provides a foundation for enhancing GMH workforce capabilities, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
• Recommendations are made for building an agile and effective GMH workforce through improved training and development.