Measurement-Based Care in Mental Health and Substance Use Services for Marginalized Populations: A Scoping Review Protocol

This scoping review will map and describe how measurement-based care (MBC) has been implemented within mental health and substance use disorder services serving marginalized or structurally vulnerable populations, focusing on equity-relevant adaptations, barriers, facilitators, and reported implementation outcomes. It will be conducted in accordance with Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and reported following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, with searches in MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Cochrane CENTRAL (from January 1, 2000 onward; no language restrictions). Data will be charted descriptively using a structured extraction form, with vulnerable and marginalized population characteristics coded using the PROGRESS-Plus framework. Expected contribution: the review will map existing evidence on MBC implementation for vulnerable and marginalized populations, identify gaps across populations and settings, and inform future research, policy, and practice aimed at advancing equitable measurement-based care in mental health and substance use services.