Abstract

Mental health promotion has become an essential component of contemporary public health practice, aiming to 
enhance psychological well-being and strengthen protective factors across the life course. Unlike prevention, 
which targets risk factors and individuals at elevated risk, promotion seeks to improve positive mental health 
across entire populations and settings. This narrative review synthesizes evidence from diverse interventions 
implemented in schools, workplaces, communities, and policy environments to examine their conceptual 
foundations, implementation processes, outcomes, and methodological challenges. Findings reveal substantial 
variation in definitions of mental health promotion, with many frameworks emphasizing human rights principles 
such as autonomy, dignity, equity, and fulfilment of basic needs. Population-wide interventions demonstrate 
potential for strengthening resilience, improving social and emotional competencies, enhancing mental health 
literacy, and reducing common indicators of psychological distress. Schools remain the most common 
implementation setting due to their universal reach, while workplace programmes address stress management, 
burnout, and organizational culture. Community-level strategies highlight multi-sector collaboration, public 
health campaigns, and structural interventions that promote mental health at social-ecological levels. Critical 
evidence suggests that programme success depends on implementation fidelity, contextual adaptation, scalability, 
and systematic measurement of outcomes. However, conceptual ambiguities, inconsistent methodologies, limited 
long-term evaluations, and insufficient attention to cultural and contextual variation remain significant barriers. 
This review identifies persistent knowledge gaps and presents priority directions for future research, including the 
need for clearer operational definitions, improved measurement tools, culturally responsive designs, and stronger 
alignment between promotion and broader health system policies.