Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40160385›Full record

ReviewGlobal mental health (Cambridge, England)2025

Types and effectiveness of mental health promotion programmes for young people in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review.

Tholene Sodi, Katlego Rantho, Frans Koketso Matlakala, Pamela Wadende, Deborah Ikhile, Samuel Oluwasogo Dada, Diana Frost, Paulette Henry, Utek Ishaku, Michael Obeng Brown and 8 more

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Global mental health (Cambridge, England), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. 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

18 authors.

Tholene SodiDepartment of Psychology, University of Limpopo, Sovenga, South Africa.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7592-5145
Katlego RanthoDepartment of Psychology, University of Limpopo, Sovenga, South Africa.
Frans Koketso MatlakalaResearch and Innovation Directorate, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa.
Pamela WadendeDepartment of Educational Psychology, Early Childhood and Special Needs Education, Kisii University, Kisii, Kenya.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0846-3977
Deborah IkhileLeicester Diabetes Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
Samuel Oluwasogo DadaInstitute of Health and Allied Professions, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK.
Diana FrostInstitute of Health and Allied Professions, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK.
Paulette HenryFaculty of Social Sciences, University of Guyana, Georgetown, Guyana.
Utek IshakuDepartment of Psychology, University of Jos, Jos, Nigeria.
Michael Obeng BrownInstitute of Health and Allied Professions, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK.
David MusokeDepartment of Disease Control and Environmental Health, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
Shai NkoanaDepartment of Psychology, University of Limpopo, Sovenga, South Africa.
Talamo PhochanaDepartment of Psychology, University of Limpopo, Sovenga, South Africa.
Dung JidongDepartment of Psychology, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Juliet PwajokDepartment of Psychology, University of Jos, Jos, Nigeria.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8908-3118
Toluwalope AwokoyaInstitute of Health and Allied Professions, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK.
Elma Rejoice BanyenInstitute of Health and Allied Professions, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK.
Linda GibsonInstitute of Health and Allied Professions, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Studies show that mental health promotion is an effective strategy that can reduce the burden of mental health disorders and improve overall well-being in both children and adults. In addition to promoting high levels of mental well-being and preventing the onset of mental illness, these mental health promotion programmes, including mental illness prevention interventions, help increase levels of mental health literacy in community members. While there is evidence showing the effectiveness of mental health promotion, much of what is known about this field is informed by studies conducted in high-income countries. There is a need to gather evidence about the effectiveness of such interventions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where mental health services are often inadequate. In this systematic review, we synthesised the available published primary evidence from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) on the types and effectiveness of mental health promotion programmes for young people. We performed a search of selected global databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar) and regional databases (Sabinet African Journals). We included observational, mixed methods, trials, pilots and quantitative original papers published from 2013 to 2023. We used the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) to evaluate the quality of methods in selected studies, and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement (PRISMA-2020) for reporting the evidence gathered. We identified 15 types of youth mental health promotion and illness prevention interventions. Among those identified, we found that school-based interventions enhanced mental health literacy, mental health-seeking behaviours and self-assurance and confidence among young people. Family-based interventions also showed a potential to improve relationships between young people and their caregivers. Future studies should explore how to further strengthen school- and family-based interventions that promote mental health among young people.

Indexed as

mental healthmental health preventionmental health promotion strategiessub-Saharan Africayoung people

Identifiers

PMID40160385
PMCPMC11949736

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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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.