From Awareness to Action: A Systematic Literature Review of Barriers and Recommendations for Mental Health Promotion and Problem Prevention in Secondary Schools

Despite the widespread implementation of school-based mental health programs, understanding the barriers to their effectiveness and identifying strategies for improvement remains essential. While numerous studies have examined these issues individually, there is limited comprehensive research that integrates the perspectives of teachers, counselors, stakeholders, and students. This study presents a systematic literature review (SLR) conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, synthesizing evidence on barriers and recommendations for enhancing school-based mental health support among secondary school students. The review process involved developing a structured protocol, formulating research questions, conducting systematic searches across major databases such as SpringerLink, ScienceDirect, ProQuest, Scopus, and Google Scholar, appraising study quality, and performing data extraction followed by thematic analysis. Findings were organized into two overarching categories: barriers and recommendations. Barriers included challenges faced by teachers, counselors, and educational psychologists; obstacles involving parents, families, and caregivers; insufficient support; and inadequate resources. Recommendations encompassed fostering collaborative relationships among stakeholders, providing targeted training, empowering teachers and counselors with mental health knowledge, and developing coping skills for addressing mental health challenges. These themes were further refined into fifteen sub-themes, offering a comprehensive framework to inform policy, practice, and future research on school-based mental health.