Supportive psychotherapy or client education alongside surgical procedures to correct complications of female genital mutilation: A systematic review

Background Supportive psychotherapy, in individual or group settings, may help improve surgical outcomes for women and girls living with female genital mutilation (FGM). Objectives To assess whether supportive psychotherapy given alongside surgical procedures to correct complications of FGM improves clinical outcomes. Search strategy We searched major databases including CENTRAL, Medline, African Index Medicus, SCOPUS, PsycINFO, and others. There were no language restrictions. We checked the reference lists of retrieved studies for additional reports of relevant studies. Selection criteria We included studies of girls and women living with any type of FGM who received supportive psychotherapy or client education sessions alongside any surgical procedure to correct health complications from FGM. Data collection and analysis Two team members independently screened studies for eligibility. Main results There were no eligible studies identified. Conclusions There is no direct evidence for the benefits or harms of supportive psychotherapy alongside surgical procedures for women and girls living with FGM. Research evidence is urgently needed to guide clinical practice. PROSPERO registration 42015024639.