Idioms of distress have been employed in psychological anthropology and global mental health to solicit localized understandings of suffering. The idiom “thinking too much” is employed in cultural settings worldwide to express feelings of emotional and cognitive disquiet with psychological, physical, and social consequences on people’s well-being and daily functioning. This systematic review investigates how, where, and among whom the idiom “thinking too much” within varied Sub-Saharan African contexts was investigated. We reviewed eight databases and identified 60 articles, chapters, and books discussing “thinking too much” across Sub-Saharan Africa. Across 18 Sub-Saharan African countries, literature on “thinking too much” focused on particular sub-populations, including clinical populations, including people living with HIV or non-communicable diseases, and women experiencing perinatal or postnatal depression; health workers and caregivers; and non-clinical populations, including refugees and conflict-affected communities, as well as community samples with and without depression. “Thinking too much” reflected a broad range of personal, familial, and professional concerns that lead someone to be consumed with “too many thoughts.” This research demonstrates that “thinking too much” is a useful idiom for understanding rumination and psychiatric distress while providing unique insights within cultural contexts that should not be overlooked when applied in clinical settings.

心理人类学和全球心理健康中都采用了痛苦的习语，以寻求对痛苦的局部理解。“想太多”这个成语在世界各地的文化环境中被用来表达情绪和认知上的不安情绪，以及对人们的幸福和日常功能产生的心理、身体和社会后果。这篇系统综述调查了在不同的撒哈拉以南非洲背景下，“想得太多”这个成语是如何、在何处以及在哪些人中进行调查的。我们审查了 8 个数据库，确定了 60 篇讨论撒哈拉以南非洲地区“想得太多”的文章、章节和书籍。在 18 个撒哈拉以南非洲国家，关于“想得太多”的文献侧重于特定的亚人群，包括临床人群、包括 HIV 感染者或非传染性疾病患者，以及患有围产期或产后抑郁症的妇女；卫生工作者和护理人员；和非临床人群，包括难民和受冲突影响的社区，以及有和没有抑郁症的社区样本。“想得太多”反映了广泛的个人、家庭和职业问题，导致某人被“想得太多”所吞噬。这项研究表明，“想太多”是一个有用的习语，可用于理解沉思和精神困扰，同时在文化背景下提供独特的见解，在临床环境中应用时不应忽视。包括难民和受冲突影响的社区，以及有和没有抑郁症的社区样本。“想得太多”反映了广泛的个人、家庭和职业问题，导致某人被“想得太多”所吞噬。这项研究表明，“想太多”是理解沉思和精神困扰的有用习语，同时在文化背景下提供独特的见解，在临床环境中应用时不应忽视。包括难民和受冲突影响的社区，以及有和没有抑郁症的社区样本。“想得太多”反映了广泛的个人、家庭和职业问题，导致某人被“想得太多”所吞噬。这项研究表明，“想太多”是理解沉思和精神困扰的有用习语，同时在文化背景下提供独特的见解，在临床环境中应用时不应忽视。