Date created: 2021-06-04 01:25 PM | Last Updated: 2023-09-28 04:11 AM

Category: Project

Description: Background: Mental health problems affect the health and productivity of the population. National surveys are useful for the information they provide to stakeholders for decision-making because they provide relevant information about the population. These national surveys are needed, especially by Latin American and Caribbean countries because there is evidence about the prevalence of substance abuse, mental health problems, and violence. Even so, we have not found a list of national surveys in Latin America and the Caribbean. Objective: The aim of the study is to identify the national surveys with available data on mental health in Latin American and Caribbean countries, and to describe the available mental health variables and the design of the surveys identified. Method: We will develop a scoping review following the PRISMA-ScR methodology. The eligibility criteria will be national surveys conducted by some governmental organization or other, conducted in the last 10 years, be from Latin America and the Caribbean countries, and should collect information about mental health. We will perform a comprehensive search in Pubmed to look for national surveys that have been used in research. Also, we will search the gray literature using Google, institutional pages, and other sources. Conclusions: Having health variables available and characterized will help in mental health decision-making.