General practitioners (GPs) play a pivotal role in mental health services, with the ability to identify and manage mental health issues at an early stage and provide ongoing support through long-term doctor-patient relationships. However, there is a disparity in the development of GPs with a special interest in mental health between China and other countries, with domestic practices lagging behind. There is an urgent need to draw on international experience to foster local development. This paper reviews the progress of GPs with a special interest in mental health both domestically and internationally, analyzes the content of primary health care mental health services in different countries, and summarizes the exploration and achievements in the training and practice of GPs in mental health in China. The paper suggests that China needs to increase government support, promote routine screening and early intervention, advocate for multidisciplinary team collaboration, and develop telemedicine and information services. At the same time, it is recommended to formulate mental health service strategies that are suitable for local medical, social, and cultural environments and social cognition, in order to enhance the development level of GPs with a special interest in mental health in China and improve the quality and overall effectiveness of primary mental health services. Future research will focus on evaluating the long-term effects of mental health training for GPs, optimizing multidisciplinary team collaboration models, and studying the application effects of information technology in mental health services.