Pregnancy related anxiety screening tools in low income countries: Insights from Ethiopia-A scoping review

Early detection through valid and reliable screening tools is essential for timely intervention. However, the availability and cultural applicability of validated screening instruments vary considerably across settings. In Ethiopia, maternal mental health services remain limited, and culturally adapted, validated screening tools for PRA are scarce. Existing evidence on screening instruments is fragmented and not systematically synthesized. Therefore, this scoping review was undertaken to comprehensively explore, map, and synthesize the existing literature on pregnancy-related anxiety (PRA) screening tools used or validated in the Ethiopian context. This scoping review follows the appropriate methodology of a scoping review, given the emerging and heterogeneous nature of the evidence and the lack of a registered review protocol. By identifying available screening tools, evaluating their psychometric properties, and examining and highlighting research gaps, this review aims to inform future research, tool adaptation, and policy development to strengthen maternal mental health screening and care in Ethiopia.