Effectiveness of Mental Health Literacy Training for School Teachers: A Systematic Review Spanning 2012-2024

The mental health of students is an increasing concern in school settings, with teachers often acting as the first line of support. As a result, there is growing interest in improving teachers' mental health literacy (MHL) through structured training programs. This systematic review aims to synthesize available evidence on MHL interventions targeting school teachers and to evaluate their effectiveness in enhancing knowledge, attitudes, and the ability to identify and address students' mental health issues.

A comprehensive literature search was conducted across eight databases: PubMed, Scopus, Ovid Technologies (commonly referred to as Ovid, a biomedical and academic research database platform), ScienceDirect, Cochrane, PsycINFO, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), and Google Scholar. Keywords included "MHL," "teachers," "intervention," and "effectiveness." Experimental studies published between 2012 and 2024 were considered. From the 3,459 initial records, 871 remained after duplicates were removed. Following the screening of titles and abstracts, 44 studies were examined in full, of which 13 satisfied the inclusion criteria. The final review included five randomized controlled trials (RCTs), two cohort studies, and six pre- and post-intervention studies. Compared to previous reviews, this review incorporated a greater number of high-quality studies. Overall, the interventions showed a positive impact on teachers' mental health knowledge, attitudes, and supportive behaviors, although the magnitude of effects varied.

The review highlights that MHL training programs can be effective in empowering teachers to better support students' mental health needs. These findings support the need for contextually relevant, evidence-based training to strengthen educators' roles in promoting student well-being.