2026/06/01 by Huda Abdul Ghaffar, Keyrellous Adib, Cassie Redlich +6 · 1 voice
Psychology · Health Professions · #Mental Health Treatment and Access #Employment and Welfare Studies #Family Caregiving in Mental Illness
paper · doi:10.1136/bmjhci-2025-101907
openalex publication_date 2026/06/01 · openalex created_date 2026/06/23 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/27
OBJECTIVE: This scoping review aims to map and describe mental health indicators used in peer-reviewed studies in the WHO European Region to inform the development of a regional mental health measurement framework. METHODS: reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR), this scoping review analysed 75 studies identified through database searches on mental health monitoring and indicators in the WHO European Region. The scope was restricted to English-language, peer-reviewed literature published from 2019 onwards. Indicators were extracted and standardised to reflect their original reported meaning, treated as distinct and pragmatically classified into nine predefined domains. RESULTS: Across the 75 studies, 450 distinct indicators were identified. Most indicators related to mental health status and mental health risk factors and/or determinants. Geographic coverage varied, with northern and western European countries most frequently represented among the included literature. Diverse measurement tools were employed. DISCUSSION: The predominance of indicators related to mental health status and determinants reflects the emphasis on burden and underlying factors, while system-level or structural indicators remain under-represented. Differences in geographic coverage likely stem from disparities in research capacity, publication practices and data availability. CONCLUSIONS: This scoping review provides a descriptive overview of mental health indicators applied in recent peer-reviewed research in the Region. Greater alignment between research indicators and policy frameworks may strengthen the comparability and policy utility of mental health data across the Region.