Mental health education: Contemporary context and future directions

Aim: To discuss the contemporary context in mental health education and outline current developments and new theoretical directions.

Method: The clinical and educational contexts in which mental health education occurs are discussed. In addition, new theoretical directions and potential instructional design elements are considered. The specific educational methods through which such mechanisms might be actioned are also examined. Finally, the uses of these methods in mental health education are outlined, and their implications are considered.

Findings: Mental health education must be developed in response to contemporary clinical and educational contexts to maximise its impact on improving the population's mental health.

Contribution: It addresses a cohesive approach with solid theories of change to allow people to action the learning they acquire: educators need to be trained, institutions need to be willing to integrate new ways of teaching into everyday practice, and the lack of research on mental health education needs to be addressed.

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