Experiences of health professionals in screening for postpartum depressive symptoms: a qualitative systematic review protocol

Abstract

Objective: This review will assess and synthesize the available qualitative evidence on the experiences of health professionals in screening for postpartum depression. Introduction: Postpartum depression is a significant public health problem. Clinical screening is essential to develop appropriate interventions to meet the needs of women and their families. The findings of this review will have important implications for decision-making and policy development for continuous professional development programs that promote evidence-based postpartum depression screening. Inclusion criteria: This review will consider studies that explore the experiences of health professionals who screen for postpartum depression in any geographic location at any health care level (primary, secondary, or tertiary). The review will focus on qualitative data, including methods such as phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, action research, and feminist research. Methods: The review will follow a 3-step search strategy, in line with the JBI methodology for systematic reviews of qualitative evidence. The databases to be searched will include MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, LILACS, ScienceDirect, PsycINFO, Index Psi Periódicos, and PePsic. Unpublished studies will be searched for in Google Scholar, Cybertesis, Dart-E, EthOS, and OATD. Two independent reviewers will evaluate the included studies for methodological quality and extract data using the JBI data extraction and synthesis tools. There will be no language or date limitations. Systematic review registration number: PROSPERO CRD42021253792.