Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38214345›Full record

ArticleSuicide & life-threatening behavior2024

A profound absence of counseling interventions for suicide prevention among youth in Africa: A call to action based on an empty scoping review.

Brandon A Knettel, Armstrong Obale, Hamza Iqbal, Mela C Fotabong, Ngaha N Philippe, Margaret Graton, Leila Ledbetter

Open access · bronzeAbstract readScoping Review
In one paragraph

Article in Suicide & life-threatening behavior, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.3field-weighted citation impact, top 23% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Suicide in neurodegenerative diseases: a systematic review.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Brandon A KnettelDuke University School of Nursing, Durham, North Carolina, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-2986-1579
Armstrong ObaleDuke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
Hamza IqbalThe University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA.
Mela C FotabongEsther Memorial Foundation, Buea, Cameroon.
Ngaha N PhilippeCentre de Soins Médico-Social le FIBI, Douala, Cameroon.
Margaret GratonDuke University Medical Center Library, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
Leila LedbetterDuke University Medical Center Library, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
Duke University · USThe University of Texas at Dallas · USUniversity of Buea · CMUniversity of Douala · CM

Funding

Social and Behavioral Sciences CoreP30AI064518 · NIAID · DUKE UNIVERSITY · PI Nwora Lance Okeke · 2005 to 2026
$50.5M
Sociobehavioral Sciences Research to Improve Care for HIV Infection in TanzaniaD43TW009595 · FIC · KILIMANJARO CHRISTIAN MEDICAL CENTRE · PI Blandina Theophil Mmbaga · 2013 to 2026
$4.2M
Telehealth to Reduce Suicidality and lmprove HIV Care Engagement in TanzaniaK08MH124459 · NIMH · DUKE UNIVERSITY · PI KNETTEL, BRANDON A · 2021 to 2024
$694k
FIC NIH HHS D43 TW009595NIAID NIH HHS P30 AI064518NIMH NIH HHS K08 MH124459
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveOne-third of all global suicide deaths occur among adolescents and young adults, making suicide the second leading cause of death among young people. Nearly 80% of suicide deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, and many African nations have higher rates of suicide than global averages. However, interventions are scarce. We conducted a scoping review of counseling interventions for suicide prevention among youth in Africa.

methodWe performed structured searches of the Medline, Embase, PyscINFO, African Index Medicus, Global Heath Database, and Proquest Dissertations and Theses Global databases. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they described a counseling intervention conducted in Africa, focused on participants under age 22, and included a suicide-related outcome.

resultsAfter removal of duplicates, 1808 titles and abstracts were screened and 10 studies were identified for full-text review. Of these, six included adult participants and did not disaggregate results for youth, two did not describe an intervention, and two did not include a relevant outcome. Thus, no studies were eligible for inclusion.

conclusionsThis empty review highlights the striking absence of published research on a life-threatening public health challenge, representing a distinct call to action for improved efforts in adolescent suicide prevention in Africa.

Indexed as

SuicideSuicide PreventionAdolescentAfricaCounselingHumansYoung AdultadolescentsAfricacounselingpsychotherapyscoping reviewsuicide preventionsystematic review

Identifiers

PMID38214345
PMCPMC11021152
OpenAlexW4390792368

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.