Objective:

To provide an evidence-based inventory of effective mental health screening tools applicable to adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa aged 12–18 years.

Approach:

Key Findings:

• 128 studies covering 26 mental health disorders were included in the systematic review.
• 60% of the studies were rated high risk of bias on at least one domain of the QUADAS-2 tool.
• Only 21 of 48 SSA countries validated at least one screening tool.
• Meta-analysis included 36 articles evaluating four tools focused on depression: EPDS, PHQ-9/PHQ-2, and K-10.
• Heterogeneity was present across validation studies for all tools in the meta-analyses.

Interpretation:

Remove unsupported conclusions.

Limitations:

• High risk of bias in a significant proportion of included studies.
• Limited number of countries in SSA that have validated mental health screening tools.

Conclusion:

Remove recommendations not found in the source.

Sources:

• Systematic Review Registration
Attribution Notice

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