Mental Health Training for Community Health Workers in Cancer Care: A Narrative Review

Lay Community Health Workers (CHWs) play a critical role in reducing mental health disparities, particularly among underserved and vulnerable populations, by bridging gaps in care and promoting mental well-being. This narrative review aimed to identify and characterize training programs designed for CHWs, with a focus on those targeting cancer patients and individuals with chronic conditions.

A comprehensive literature search was conducted across databases including PubMed, EBSCOhost, Scielo, Redalyc, and Google Scholar. From an initial pool of 10,372 references, 27 relevant articles were selected, encompassing research articles, training materials, curricula, and other resources.

The identified training methods included role-playing, instructional videos, and manuals designed to equip CHWs with skills in mental health intervention, prevention, management, education, and stigma reduction. Training programs also incorporated evidence-based interventions and psychological skill training. This review highlights a notable gap in research on CHW-led interventions in cancer palliative care and mental health.

The findings support the development of a specialized mental health training program tailored for CHWs working with cancer survivors, to enhance their capacity to address mental health challenges, reduce stigma, and promote psychological well-being. Future efforts involve developing a training intervention for CHWs to support the needs of cancer survivors.