This narrative review examines the psychosocial factors influencing child mental health in suburban regions of Sri Lanka, an area that remains insufficiently addressed in academic research and public policy. The rapidly urbanising suburban areas of Colombo, Gampaha, and Kalutara are characterised by weakening social cohesion, economic instability, and underdeveloped infrastructure. Children living in these settings are exposed to multiple psychosocial risks, including restrictive or adverse parenting practices, academic pressure, poverty, violence, discrimination, institutional care, parental migration, and homelessness.

Drawing on 34 sources published between 2010 and 2025, the review analyses the determinants of child mental health using Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and the World Health Organization’s social determinants of mental health framework. The findings demonstrate that psychosocial risks frequently accumulate and interact across family, school, and community environments, thereby increasing children’s vulnerability to mental health difficulties. Particular attention is given to three comparatively underrecognised areas of risk: children living in state care, children from migrant families, and children exposed to maternal depression or gender-based discrimination.

The review further identifies significant limitations in the availability and organisation of mental health services within suburban communities. School-based counselling programmes remain inadequate, community mental health services are poorly coordinated, and culturally appropriate intervention models designed for local populations are limited. Two major research gaps are evident: the underrepresentation of children’s own perspectives in existing studies and the lack of longitudinal, community-engaged research capable of examining developmental outcomes over time.

The findings highlight the urgent need for trauma-sensitive, culturally responsive, and multisectoral interventions that address both individual psychological symptoms and broader structural inequalities. By integrating evidence from psychosocial and environmental research, the review provides a foundation for developing contextually appropriate mental health policies and programmes for children living in rapidly urbanising suburban regions of Sri Lanka.

Keywords
Child mental health , Psychosocial determinants , Sri Lanka , Suburban communities , Community-based interventions