Effect of social media mental health messaging on mental help-seeking behaviors in the sub-Saharan African population: a systematic review protocol

Mental health is a major public health concern, with disproportionate burdens in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where access to care is limited and stigma remains high. Social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, X, YouTube, TikTok, and other digital platforms provide opportunities for rapid information sharing, peer engagement, and tailored interventions that may enhance literacy and normalize help-seeking. Yet, they also pose risks, including misinformation, exposure to harmful content, and reinforcement of stigma within culturally diverse, community-based contexts. Despite this potential, evidence from SSA on the effects of social media messaging on mental health knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and help-seeking is scarce, as most studies focus on prevalence or barriers to care. This systematic review will assess the effect of social media mental health messaging on mental-help-seeking behaviors in SSA. Electronic databases, including PubMed/MEDLINE, Psychological Information Database (PsycINFO), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Communication and Mass Media Complete, Scopus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Web of Science Core Collection, Educational Resource Information Centre (ERIC), ProQuest Sociology, and Medline via ProQuest will be systematically queried using predefined keywords. Eligible studies will include those examining the use of online mental health-related messages in SSA, analyzing audience engagement, behavioral and psychological outcomes, and any kind of intervention studies. Methodological quality and risk of bias will be assessed using validated tools appropriate to each study design, including the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 (RoB 2) tool for randomized trials, the Risk of Bias in Non-Randomized Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I), and the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist for observational studies. Where appropriate, data will be synthesized with or without meta-analysis. Collectively, this synthesis will clarify how social media shapes mental health outcomes, identify gaps, and inform culturally sensitive interventions to improve communication, reduce disparities, and promote mental health help-seeking in SSA.