Scope of the Africa Mental Health Data Repository

In 2024, APHRC, in partnership with Wellcome, launched the Mental Health Data Prize Africa (MHDPA) initiative. The initiative encourages African researchers and scientists to leverage existing datasets to deepen our understanding of anxiety, depression, and psychosis. To support this objective, we conducted a scoping review to identify and map available mental health datasets across the continent.

The Africa Mental Health Data Repository was established to provide a comprehensive and accessible source of mental health data for researchers seeking to identify and leverage existing datasets to generate further evidence on common mental health conditions. Identifying datasets on mental health research in Africa with a focus on depression, anxiety, psychosis, mental, neurological, and substance use (MNS) disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder.

How did we identify datasets

The first set of datasets was identified through a landscape analysis of longitudinal and cross-sectional mental health datasets in Africa, using a scoping review framework designed to systematically locate relevant studies and datasets. Eligible studies were published in English between 1970 and 2024 and used data originating from Africa.

From 1,556 identified articles, 110 eligible exemplar studies and/or datasets were retained based on population, concept, and context (PCC) eligibility criteria. All 110 datasets were uploaded to the Africa Mental Health Data Repository.

In addition, the repository features metadata from the Mental Health Data Prize (MHDP) Africa award-winning projects, with direct links to the Open Science Framework (OSF), where the documentation, data access statements, and workflows for all ten teams are hosted (see link).

Most datasets originate from cross-sectional studies, with cohort studies representing the next largest category.

Repository Content and Data Availability

The repository contains information about each dataset, including author details, year of data collection, and methodological summary details such as sample, target population, target age, data types, mental health measures explored, and topic, as well as data access and sharing details, engagement, and funder information. To facilitate data access, each entry provides the corresponding author's contact information (name and email), the DOI of a profile paper or technical paper with study/data information, and data access links or information. Users can explore the data using list, grid, or country-level map views, with a side panel of filters to refine their search efficiently. Additionally, users can download content in CSV format.

How do we update mental health datasets?

Beyond the initial scoping exercise, the repository supports ongoing dataset discovery and submission through the following complementary mechanisms:

• Individuals and institutions with documented data may submit dataset details directly for consideration.
• The platform leverages AI-powered web crawlers to continuously identify and ingest newly published or missing datasets through active searches of international public databases and repositories.
• The team continues to identify other sources, such as health care service providers, research institutions, and independent researchers, that have relevant datasets available for research use.
• Mental health data custodians across public, private, academic, and non-governmental sectors are engaged through online outreach to encourage data sharing, with network referrals used to expand stakeholder participation.
• Regional data repositories that collate longitudinal and cross-sectional mental health datasets are identified beyond those mapped by previous Wellcome prize initiatives (such as ATLAS).

Validation of added datasets

All submissions, whether from individuals or identified through web crawling, are reviewed by the MHDP Africa team at APHRC before being incorporated into the main repository. The team, which has administrative access, determines which entries are eligible and approves them once all required details have been incorporated.