Community-Based Mental Health Promotion and Public Policy Integration: A Scoping Review (1990-2024)

Background: Community-based mental health promotion has gained increasing relevance as a strategy to strengthen population well-being and complement formal healthcare services. However, existing initiatives remain fragmented, and their integration into health systems and public policy frameworks has not been systematically examined. This scoping review aimed to map community-based mental health promotion strategies and analyze their alignment with public health systems and policy frameworks. Methods: A scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and reported according to the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Searches were conducted in April 2025 across major databases, including Scopus and PubMed, covering studies published between 1990 and 2024. The retrieved records were subsequently reviewed and analyzed by the researchers between 1 May 2025 and September 2025 Documents published after 2024 were used only as contextual or policy references and were not included in the review corpus. Eligibility criteria were defined using the Population-Concept-Context framework. Two reviewers independently screened records and extracted data. Results: A total of 3799 records were identified, of which 76 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most interventions were implemented in school (18.4%) and community (21.1%) settings and focused on strengthening psychosocial skills, social support, and resilience. Common intervention components included community participation, cultural adaptation, and facilitator training. Several strategies were linked to broader public health frameworks, such as primary health care, intersectoral action, and social determinants of health. Reported outcomes were generally positive, although evaluation methods and indicators varied widely. Conclusions: Community-based mental health promotion interventions represent a valuable complement to healthcare systems, particularly in resource-constrained settings. Strengthening their integration into public policies and health system planning may improve sustainability, equity, and population impact. This review highlights key gaps in implementation and evaluation and provides evidence to inform decision-making in community health, prevention, and mental health policy development.