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

Abstract

AbstractObjectiveOne‐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.