Perinatal Mental Health Access and Experiences of Ethnic Minority Women in the UK: A Scoping Review Protocol

Introduction: Perinatal mental health is a critical aspect of maternal and child wellbeing. Current evidence shows disparities in access and experiences for ethnic minority service users. Existing research is fragmented across qualitative, quantitative, and policy sources. A scoping review will help map the width of evidence and highlight gaps for further study. Objective: In this review, we aim to map existing evidence on access to and experiences of perinatal mental health services among ethnic minorities living in the UK. We intend to explore barriers and facilitators experienced, to identify potential service improvements, needs and gaps for future research and policy. Inclusion criteria: This review will include studies focusing on service users from ethnic minority backgrounds in the perinatal period and addressing access to and experiences of perinatal mental health care within mental health services in the UK. Eligible evidence will include quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies, as well as reviews, service models, and policy documents. Studies conducted outside the UK or which focused primarily on asylum seekers and refugees will be excluded due to limited access to services and non-mainstream access routes. Methods: A comprehensive search will be conducted to identify both published and grey literature. The search will cover the period from January 2015 to September 2025. Keywords and controlled vocabulary terms (e.g., MeSH in MEDLINE, Emtree in Embase, and subject headings in CINAHL and PsycINFO) relating to perinatal mental health, access to and experiences of services, and ethnic minority populations will be used to develop the search strategy, which will be adapted for each database to ensure sensitivity and completeness. The following databases will be searched: MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, using Medline/Ovid, Embase/Ovid, PsycINFO/Ovid, and CINAHL/EBSCO interfaces. Grey literature will be identified through targeted searches of key organisational and governmental websites, including NHS England, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), and GOV.UK, to capture relevant reports, guidelines, and policy documents. Two independent reviewers will screen all titles, abstracts, and full-text papers against the eligibility criteria, with any disagreements resolved through discussion with a third reviewer. The selection process will be documented and presented using a PRISMA flow diagram.