We aimed to examine existing and emerging master narratives on mental health and to capture the changing emphasis in these narratives over time. Making these shifts explicit can facilitate alignment of actors and practices that must collaborate to support those seeking help.

We gathered data via a scoping review, semistructured interviews and podcast episodes. Data analysis consisted of a thematic analysis to identify narratives and a content analysis to map shifts in emphasis over time.

Semistructured interviews and included podcast episodes were all Dutch. The scoping review included Dutch and English publications.

Semistructured interviews were performed with 11 participants working in medical education and mental health provision. The selected podcast featured interviews with 15 people who aim to change the Dutch mental healthcare system.

We extracted four master narratives and observed a shift in emphasis as well as a coexistence of narratives. The narratives we found were: (1) treating a classification, (2) understanding the patient’s problem, (3) recovering life-balance and (4) building collective resilience. We found increasing emphasis on ‘building collective resilience’ when discussing the future of mental health.

Our concretisation of narrative patterns underlying the perspectives and approaches in mental health is a first step in creating a collective understanding of the shifting master narratives, which enables working with it in practice. The shift has implications for mental health professionals, educators, policymakers and those seeking help. Future research should further examine these implications and explore the perspectives of individuals seeking mental health support and their network, both of which remain insufficiently addressed.