Current perspectives on public mental health training provision: a scoping review

Aim: To summarise the characteristics of public mental health training available in England, presenting critical quality criteria for this training and identifying gaps in training provision.

Method: A pragmatic mixed-methods approach was used, including database and Google Searches, focus groups and survey methods. The data analysis included a structured data extraction template for the training availability scoping and thematic analysis of the survey and focus groups.

Findings: This paper identifies 74 training courses targeting workplace employees, young people, and the general population. It focuses on the training approach, key training features, trainer attributes and evaluation. There were no significant gaps in training provision.

Contribution: The results contribute to the evidence base of currently available interventions and support the efforts to evaluate the impact of training provision. The paper provides a novel approach to assessing training quality and discusses areas for development and innovation in this field.

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