A scoping review protocol on mental health interventions for women exposed to gender-based violence in Sub-Saharan Africa

Gender-based violence against women in Sub-Saharan Africa is highly prevalent, with profound mental health consequences including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anxiety. Despite growing recognition of this public health crisis, evidence on mental health interventions remains fragmented across countries and populations, with limited synthesis of what interventions work, for whom, and under what conditions in African contexts.

To systematically map and synthesize evidence on mental health interventions for women who have experienced violence across Sub-Saharan Africa, identifying types of interventions evaluated, outcome measures used, and critical research gaps.

This scoping review will follow the Arksey and O'Malley framework and adhere to PRISMA-ScR guidelines. We will search PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, and African Journals Online for studies published between 2010 and December 2025. Eligible studies will include empirical research examining mental health interventions for women aged 15 years and above who have experienced any form of gender-based violence in Sub-Saharan African countries, with outcomes measuring depression, anxiety, PTSD, suicide-related behaviors, or psychological distress. Two independent reviewers will conduct screening and data extraction, with disagreements resolved through discussion or third-reviewer consultation.

This scoping review will provide a comprehensive map of the current evidence base on mental health interventions for violence-exposed women in Sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting effective approaches, identifying implementation strategies including task-shifting and service integration, and revealing critical gaps to inform future research priorities and evidence-based policy development.