Experiences of perinatal depression screening in women during perinatal period: a qualitative systematic review protocol

Objective: This review aims to synthesize women’s experiences of perinatal depression screening. Introduction: Perinatal depression is common for women during the perinatal period. The rate of untreated perinatal depression is high, and the consequences are serious. Targeted depression screening for perinatal women offers the potential to identify and treat undiagnosed patients and help prevent perinatal depression’s detrimental consequences. Eligibility criteria: Articles from all settings will be considered. This review will include qualitative data from qualitative research and mixed methods articles that explore women’s experiences of perinatal depression screening. Participants are women who accept perinatal depression screening, regardless of age. Methods: The search strategy will include CINAHL (EBSCOhost), Clinical Key, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Embase, PubMed, and Scopus. Two independent reviewers will cross-check the search outcomes and eligible articles and verify additional articles that are suitable for analysis. Google Scholar and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (ProQuest) will be used to identify gray literature. The JBI approach will be used for literature selection, critical appraisal, data extraction, and data synthesis. Review registration: PROSPERO CRD42024606518