Burden of mental health problems among pregnant and postpartum women in sub-Saharan Africa: systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

Introduction Pregnancy and postpartum-related mental health problems pose serious public health threat to the society, but worryingly, neglected in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This review will assess the burden and distribution of maternal mental health (MMH) problems in SSA, with the aim to inform the implementation of context sensitive interventions and policies. Methods and analysis All relevant databases, grey literature and non-database sources will be searched. PubMed, LILAC, CINAHL, SCOPUS and PsycINFO, Google Scholar, African Index Medicus, HINARI, African Journals Online and IMSEAR will be searched from inception to 31 May 2023, without language restriction. The reference lists of articles will be reviewed, and experts contacted for additional studies missed by our searches. Study selection, data extraction and risk of bias assessment will be done independently by at least two reviewers and any discrepancies will be resolved through discussion between the reviewers. Binary outcomes (prevalence and incidence) of MMH problems will be assessed using pooled proportions, OR or risk ratio and mean difference for continuous outcomes; all will be presented with their 95% CIs. Heterogeneity will be investigated graphically for overlapping CIs and statistically using the I-2 statistic and where necessary subgroup analyses will be performed. Random-effects model meta-analysis will be conducted when heterogeneity is appreciable, otherwise fixed-effect model will be used. The overall level of evidence will be assessed using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation. Ethics and dissemination Although no ethical clearance or exemption is needed for a systematic review, this review is part of a larger study on maternal mental health which has received ethical clearance from the Ethics Review Committee of the Ghana Health Service (GHS-ERC 012/03/20). Findings of this study will be disseminated through stakeholder forums, conferences and peer review publications.