Adolescent mental health interventions in sub-Saharan Africa - two systematic scoping reviews

The increasing prevalence of mental health problems amongst adolescents is a worldwide concern. Poor mental health in adolescence is associated with a range of mental, physical and social problems in later life. In sub-Saharan Africa, limited data suggests that mental disorders amongst adolescents are common. It is important that interventions to address this are rooted in an understanding of the unique local context and culture. Yet, the current use, development, and effectiveness of AMH adolescent mental health interventions in sub-Saharan Africa is unclear. In response, we will undertake two scoping reviews that together will examine the available evidence on promotive, preventive, and treatment interventions for adolescent mental health in sub-Saharan Africa. The scoping reviews will follow the five-step methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley, with further recommendations from the Joanna Briggs Institute. They will review scientific and grey literature published between 2000 and 2021, without restrictions in language or study type. A wide range of sources, including MEDLINE, CINAHL, Global Health, PsychINFO, Cochrane and Google Scholar will be searched. Eligibility screening and data extraction will be done by two independent reviewers, and disagreements resolved by a third reviewer. Data will be summarised in two phases. First, a narrative synthesis will provide a descriptive profile of all studies included and will explore key concepts related to intervention types, target populations and adaptations to local context. Second, a systematic review element will collate evidence from (cluster) Randomised Controlled Trials of intervention effectiveness.