Sources of information on mental health: a systematic review of the literature

The aim of this study was to identify the sources of information on mental health (SIMH) used by people in the literature, as well as to discuss the advantages and disadvantages associated with specific sources in order to understand the preferences and their explanations. A systematic literature review was carried out in five national and international databases (PubMed, Pepsic, IndexPsi, Scielo, and Lilacs) with the combination of two descriptors "information sources" and "mental health" in Portuguese, English, and Spanish. In total, 46 complete papers were found, but only 12 were selected for analysis. The information was organized in two categories defined a priori, based on the objectives of the study: SIMH used by specific groups and implications of the results of the studies analyzed in practice. We verified that the Internet and the health professional(s) were the most favored SIMH of the different samples analyzed. However, it is necessary for practitioners to point out reliable SIMH for patients and to explain possible limitations of each of these. We concluded that, although the Internet has increased access to mental health information, the role of professionals remains crucial in the production of reliable content.