The Role of Family-Centred Approaches in Promoting Inclusive Mental Health Care for Individuals with Psychiatric Disorders: A Scoping Review

Family-centred approaches are being increasingly recognized as integral to inclusive mental health care. Although substantial evidence-based exists for specific interventions particularly family intervention for psychosis, there is no synthesis that maps how family-centred approaches are conceptualized, implemented, and linked to inclusivity across diagnoses, service contexts, and levels of evidence. Existing reviews are largely disorder-specific or outcome-focused and do not examine family-centred care as a system-level strategy for inclusive practice. This scoping review aimed to map and synthesize the existing literature on family-centred approaches used to promote inclusive mental health care for individuals with psychiatric disorders. This review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for scoping reviews and the PRISMA-ScR reporting guidelines. Searches were conducted in PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science for English-language empirical studies published between 2000 and 2025. Studies involving individuals with psychiatric disorders and any form of family-centred, family-focused, or family-inclusive approach were eligible. Data were charted and analyzed thematically to map intervention types, reported outcomes, and implementation influences; the review did not evaluate intervention effectiveness. Twenty-four studies met the inclusion criteria. Only five themes emerged from this study. Across the literature, family involvement was associated with improved engagement, enhanced communication, and increased caregiver competence. Psychoeducation featured prominently in evidence-based interventions, while newer models emphasized shared decision-making and service co-production. Family-centred approaches are conceptualized in diverse ways across mental health services and are commonly linked to more inclusive and collaborative care. However, the strength of evidence varies substantially between intervention types. This review clarified how family-centred practices are situated across levels of evidence and service contexts, highlighting the need for greater precision in distinguishing established interventions from emerging practices and for system-level strategies to support consistent, culturally responsive family inclusion.