Unseen and underserved: A scoping review of perinatal mental health interventions in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Maternal mental health (MMH) remains a critical public health issue across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Despite the high burden, access to culturally appropriate and evidence-based mental health interventions remains limited. This scoping review examines interventions targeting mental health outcomes for pregnant and postpartum women across SSA countries. Guided by PRISMA-ScR and Arksey and O’Malley’s framework, a comprehensive search was conducted across 14 electronic databases for peer-reviewed intervention studies published in English between 2000 and March 2026. A total of 57 studies across 18 SSA countries were identified with interventions primarily focused on the individual or mother-infant level. The majority used strong research methods, with widely varying intervention content, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, problem-solving therapy, psychoeducation, and community-based programs, often delivered by community health workers, focusing on problem-solving skills, and involving cash transfers. While most studies reported reductions in depressive symptoms and improved psychosocial outcomes, few addressed scalability, health system integration, or cost-effectiveness. Few studies worked with health professionals or included technology interventions. A wide range of mental health interventions show promise in addressing perinatal mental health in SSA. However, gaps remain in scaling up sustainable, culturally relevant, and system-integrated interventions. Future efforts should prioritize provider education, health system strengthening, and evaluation of economic impact to enhance MMH outcomes across the region. To have a significant impact on perinatal mental health, future interventions that focus on cost-effectiveness, scalability, health professions education, and integration of technology are needed.