School mental health prevention and intervention strategies in China: a scoping review

Student mental health issues remain a significant global concern, imposing considerable health, social, and economic burdens. China has also published numerous national policies prioritizing this area. To further investigate the current prevention and intervention programs, we conducted a scoping review, searching six databases (three in English and three in Chinese) up to May 2024. A total of 77 eligible studies were included. Our findings highlight several gaps in current practices, such as regional disparities in school-based mental health programs, insufficient focus on younger children and developmental issues, limited comprehensive pathways from screening to classification, prevention, and intervention, and a lack of an integrated approach to promoting mental health among children and adolescents. These findings indicate an urgent need for improvements in this field, calling for future studies to help reduce the burden of mental health problems and support the holistic development of children in China.