SynthesisBMC primary care2026
"It's more than just physical care": a systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis of nurses' evolving role in providing mental health care within primary health care systems.
Synthesis in BMC primary care, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- A Person-Centred Approach to Severe Mental Illness: The Individual Symptom Complex as Guiding Principle.Nursing inquiry · 2026Article
- Mental health literacy among family nurses in Poland: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMental health disorders contribute significantly to the global disease burden. Integrating mental health services into primary health care (PHC) systems is a promising solution, with nurses playing a critical yet under-explored role due to their proximity to communities and holistic care approach. This study aimed to systematically review and synthesize qualitative and mixed-methods evidence.
methodsA systematic review and meta-synthesis were conducted, adhering to PRISMA 2020 and ENTREQ guidelines. Six databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Embase) were searched from inception to June 2025, supplemented by grey literature searches. Inclusion criteria, guided by the SPIDER framework, focused on qualitative and mixed-methods studies exploring nurses' roles in PHC mental health care. Study quality was assessed using the CASP Qualitative Checklist, and data were synthesized using thematic meta-synthesis, facilitated by NVivo 14.
results34 studies from 18 countries were included, revealing four overarching themes: (1) Nurses' mitigation of multilevel stigma through empathy, education, and advocacy; (2) Challenges in navigating structural barriers, including resource scarcity, training gaps, workload pressures, and access inequities; (3) Adaptive psychosocial intervention practices using holistic assessments, empowerment strategies, technology, and cultural adaptations; and (4) Leadership in interprofessional patient-centered care through collaboration, trust-building, recovery-oriented frameworks, and systemic advocacy.
conclusionNurses are instrumental in advancing mental health equity in PHC systems by addressing stigma, overcoming barriers, delivering tailored interventions, and leading collaborative care. Enhancing their impact requires mandatory mental health training, resource allocation, interprofessional frameworks, and further research in diverse global contexts.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.