scholarly journals Prevalence of common mental disorders in adult Syrian refugees resettled in high income Western countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis

2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas P. Nguyen ◽  
Maria Gabriela Uribe Guajardo ◽  
Berhe W. Sahle ◽  
Andre M. N. Renzaho ◽  
Shameran Slewa-Younan

Abstract Background The immense social upheaval and ongoing humanitarian crisis created by the 2011 war in Syria has forced millions of civilians to flee their homeland, many of whom seek refugee status in Western nations. Whilst it is known that the prevalence of mental illness is higher within refugee populations, this systematic review and meta-analysis aims to pool the prevalence rates of common mental disorders (namely posttraumatic stress disorder, depression and generalized anxiety disorder) in adult Syrian refugees resettled in high income Western countries. Methods Seven electronic databases (Medline, PsychInfo, CINAHL, PTSDpubs, SCOPUS, PubMed and Embase) were searched up to the 31st of December 2020. Using pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria, relevant articles were screened by title and abstract, and later by full text. A meta-analysis was used to estimate the prevalence rates for each mental illness. Results Eleven studies met the eligibility criteria for the systematic review. Nine of these studies had a low-moderate risk of bias and were included in the meta-analysis. Of the 4873 refugees included in the meta-analysis, the total pooled prevalence rate of having any of the three mental disorders was 33% (CI 95%, 27-40%), 40% for anxiety (CI 95%, 31-50%), 31% for depression (CI 95%, 20-44%) and 31% for PTSD (CI 95%, 22-41%). A meta-regression revealed that the total pooled prevalence rate for having any of the three mental disorders was not influenced by age, host country, duration in host country, educational or marital status. Conclusions Despite significant study heterogeneity, the prevalence rates of common mental disorders in adult Syrian refugees resettled in high-income Western countries are significantly higher than reported rates in the general population.

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sadiq Naveed ◽  
Ahmed Waqas ◽  
Amna Mohyud Din Chaudhary ◽  
Sham Kumar ◽  
Noureen Abbas ◽  
...  

South Asian countries report the highest prevalence of common mental disorders (CMDs) globally. This systematic review and meta-analysis report the pooled prevalence of CMDs among the South Asian countries. Database searches were conducted in eight electronic databases. Titles, abstracts, full-text screening, and extraction of data on the event rate of 17 indicators of CMDs were performed by two independent reviewers. A total of 160 studies were included and data analysis was done using the Comprehensive Meta-analysis Software (v.3). A prevalence of depressive symptoms was 26.4% among 173,449 participants, alcohol abuse was 12.9% (n = 107,893); anxiety 25.8% (n = 70,058); tobacco smoking 18.6% (n = 84,965); PTSD 17.2% (n = 42,298); mixed anxiety and depression 28.4% (n = 11,102); suicidal behaviors 6.4% (n = 25,043); misuse of opiates 0.8% (n = 37,304); tobacco chewing 21.0% (n = 10,586); use of cannabis 3.4% (n = 10,977); GAD 2.9% (n = 70,058); bipolar disorder 0.6% (n = 7,197); IV drug abuse 2.5% (n = 15,049); panic disorder 0.01% (n = 28,087); stimulant use 0.9% (n = 1,414); OCD 1.6% (n = 8,784) and phobic disorders 1.8% (n = 27,754). This study reported a high prevalence of CMDs in South Asian countries; necessitating further research on psychiatric epidemiology in those contexts. It informs the need for effective policymaking and implementation of culturally appropriate multilevel interventions.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
ozlem eylem ◽  
Leonore de Wit ◽  
Annemieke van straten ◽  
Lena Steubl ◽  
Zaneta Melissourgaki ◽  
...  

Abstract Background There is a strong stigma attached to mental disorders preventing those affected from getting psychological help. The consequences of stigma are worse for racial and/or ethnic minorities who often experience other social adversities such as poverty and discrimination within policies and institutions. This is the first systematic review and meta-analysis summarizing the evidence on the impact of differences in mental illness stigma between racial minorities and majorities. Methods This systematic review and meta-analysis included cross-sectional studies comparing mental illness stigma between racial minorities and majorities. Systematic searches were conducted in the bibliographic databases of PubMed, PsycINFO and EMBASE until 20th December 2018. Outcomes were extracted from published reports, meta-analyses and meta-regression analyses were conducted in CMA software. Results After screening 2,787 abstracts, 29 studies with 193,418 participants (N=35,836 in racial minorities) were eligible for analyses. Racial minorities showed more stigma than racial majorities (g=0.20 (95% CI: 0.12~0.27) for common mental disorders. Sensitivity analyses showed robustness of these results. Multivariate meta-regression analyses pointed to the possible moderating role of the number of studies with high risk of bias on the effect size. Racial minorities have more stigma for common mental disorders when compared with majorities. Limitations included moderate to high risk of bias, high heterogeneity, few studies in most comparisons, and the use of non-standardized outcome measures. Conclusions An important clinical implication of these findings would be to tailor anti-stigma strategies according to specific racial and/or ethnic backgrounds with the intention to improve mental health outreach. These limitations suggest a need for more high quality research on stigma. Key words: stigma; mental illness stigma; common mental disorders; racial minorities


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ozlem Eylem ◽  
Leonore de Wit ◽  
Annemieke van straten ◽  
Lena Steubl ◽  
Zaneta Melissourgaki ◽  
...  

Abstract Background There is a strong stigma attached to mental disorders preventing those affected from getting psychological help. The consequences of stigma are worse for racial and/or ethnic minorities compared to racial and/or ethnic majorities since the former often experience other social adversities such as poverty and discrimination within policies and institutions. This is the first systematic review and meta-analysis summarizing the evidence on the impact of differences in mental illness stigma between racial minorities and majorities. Methods This systematic review and meta-analysis included cross-sectional studies comparing mental illness stigma between racial minorities and majorities. Systematic searches were conducted in the bibliographic databases of PubMed, PsycINFO and EMBASE until 20 th December 2018. Outcomes were extracted from published reports, and meta-analyses, and meta-regression analyses were conducted in CMA software. Results After screening 2,787 abstracts, 29 studies with 193,418 participants (N=35,836 in racial minorities) were eligible for analyses. Racial minorities showed more stigma than racial majorities (g=0.20 (95% CI: 0.12~0.27) for common mental disorders. Sensitivity analyses showed robustness of these results. Multivariate meta-regression analyses pointed to the possible moderating role of the number of studies with high risk of bias on the effect size. Racial minorities have more stigma for common mental disorders when compared with majorities. Limitations included moderate to high risk of bias, high heterogeneity, few studies in most comparisons, and the use of non-standardized outcome measures. Conclusions Mental illness stigma is higher among ethnic minorities than majorities. An important clinical implication of these findings would be to tailor anti-stigma strategies related with mental illnesses according to specific racial and/or ethnic backgrounds with the intention to improve mental health outreach.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ozlem Eylem ◽  
Leonore de Wit ◽  
Annemieke van straten ◽  
Lena Steubl ◽  
Zaneta Melissourgaki ◽  
...  

Abstract Background There is a strong stigma attached to mental disorders preventing those affected from getting psychological help. The consequences of stigma are worse for racial and/or ethnic minorities compared to racial and/or ethnic majorities since the former often experience other social adversities such as poverty and discrimination within policies and institutions. This is the first systematic review and meta-analysis summarizing the evidence on the impact of differences in mental illness stigma between racial minorities and majorities. Methods This systematic review and meta-analysis included cross-sectional studies comparing mental illness stigma between racial minorities and majorities. Systematic searches were conducted in the bibliographic databases of PubMed, PsycINFO and EMBASE until 20 th December 2018. Outcomes were extracted from published reports, and meta-analyses, and meta-regression analyses were conducted in CMA software. Results After screening 2,787 abstracts, 29 studies with 193,418 participants (N=35,836 in racial minorities) were eligible for analyses. Racial minorities showed more stigma than racial majorities (g=0.20 (95% CI: 0.12~0.27) for common mental disorders. Sensitivity analyses showed robustness of these results. Multivariate meta-regression analyses pointed to the possible moderating role of the number of studies with high risk of bias on the effect size. Racial minorities have more stigma for common mental disorders when compared with majorities. Limitations included moderate to high risk of bias, high heterogeneity, few studies in most comparisons, and the use of non-standardized outcome measures. Conclusions Mental illness stigma is higher among ethnic minorities than majorities. An important clinical implication of these findings would be to tailor anti-stigma strategies related with mental illnesses according to specific racial and/or ethnic backgrounds with the intention to improve mental health outreach.


PLoS Medicine ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. e1003750
Author(s):  
Stefan Gutwinski ◽  
Stefanie Schreiter ◽  
Karl Deutscher ◽  
Seena Fazel

Background Homelessness continues to be a pressing public health concern in many countries, and mental disorders in homeless persons contribute to their high rates of morbidity and mortality. Many primary studies have estimated prevalence rates for mental disorders in homeless individuals. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies on the prevalence of any mental disorder and major psychiatric diagnoses in clearly defined homeless populations in any high-income country. Methods and findings We systematically searched for observational studies that estimated prevalence rates of mental disorders in samples of homeless individuals, using Medline, Embase, PsycInfo, and Google Scholar. We updated a previous systematic review and meta-analysis conducted in 2007, and searched until 1 April 2021. Studies were included if they sampled exclusively homeless persons, diagnosed mental disorders by standardized criteria using validated methods, provided point or up to 12-month prevalence rates, and were conducted in high-income countries. We identified 39 publications with a total of 8,049 participants. Study quality was assessed using the JBI critical appraisal tool for prevalence studies and a risk of bias tool. Random effects meta-analyses of prevalence rates were conducted, and heterogeneity was assessed by meta-regression analyses. The mean prevalence of any current mental disorder was estimated at 76.2% (95% CI 64.0% to 86.6%). The most common diagnostic categories were alcohol use disorders, at 36.7% (95% CI 27.7% to 46.2%), and drug use disorders, at 21.7% (95% CI 13.1% to 31.7%), followed by schizophrenia spectrum disorders (12.4% [95% CI 9.5% to 15.7%]) and major depression (12.6% [95% CI 8.0% to 18.2%]). We found substantial heterogeneity in prevalence rates between studies, which was partially explained by sampling method, study location, and the sex distribution of participants. Limitations included lack of information on certain subpopulations (e.g., women and immigrants) and unmet healthcare needs. Conclusions Public health and policy interventions to improve the health of homeless persons should consider the pattern and extent of psychiatric morbidity. Our findings suggest that the burden of psychiatric morbidity in homeless persons is substantial, and should lead to regular reviews of how healthcare services assess, treat, and follow up homeless people. The high burden of substance use disorders and schizophrenia spectrum disorders need particular attention in service development. This systematic review and meta-analysis have been registered with PROSPERO (CRD42018085216). Trial registration PROSPERO CRD42018085216.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Z. Chen ◽  
Stephen X. Zhang ◽  
Wen Xu ◽  
Allen Yin ◽  
Rebecca Kechen Dong ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectiveThis paper systematically reviews and assesses the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and insomnia symptoms in the general population, frontline healthcare workers (HCWs), and adult students in Spain during the COVID-19 crisis.Data sourcesArticles in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and medRxiv from March 2020 to February 6, 2021.ResultsThe pooled prevalence of anxiety symptoms in 23 studies comprising a total sample of 85,560 was 20% (95% CI: 15% - 25%, I2 = 99.9%), that of depression symptoms in 23 articles with a total sample comprising of 86,469 individuals was 23% (95% CI: 18% - 28%, I2 = 99.8%), and that of insomnia symptoms in 4 articles with a total sample of 915 were 52% (95% CI: 42-64%, I2 = 88.9%). The overall prevalence of mental illness symptoms in frontline HCWs, general population, and students in Spain are 42%, 19%, and 50%, respectively.DiscussionThe accumulative evidence from the meta-analysis reveals that adults in Spain suffered higher prevalence rates of mental illness symptoms during the COVID-19 crisis with a significantly higher rate relative to other countries such as China. Our synthesis reveals high heterogeneity, varying prevalence rates and a relative lack of studies in frontline and general HCWs in Spain, calling future research and interventions to pay attention to those gaps to help inform evidence-based mental health policymaking and practice in Spain during the continuing COVID-19 crisis. The high prevalence rates call for preventative and prioritization measures of the mental illness symptoms during the Covid-19 pandemic.


2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (9) ◽  
pp. 897-909 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Petrie ◽  
Josie Milligan-Saville ◽  
Aimée Gayed ◽  
Mark Deady ◽  
Andrea Phelps ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 216 (2) ◽  
pp. 69-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Winsper ◽  
Ayten Bilgin ◽  
Andrew Thompson ◽  
Steven Marwaha ◽  
Andrew M. Chanen ◽  
...  

BackgroundPersonality disorders are now internationally recognised as a mental health priority. Nevertheless, there are no systematic reviews examining the global prevalence of personality disorders.AimsTo calculate the worldwide prevalence of personality disorders and examine whether rates vary between high-income countries and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).MethodWe systematically searched PsycINFO, MEDLINE, EMBASE and PubMed from January 1980 to May 2018 to identify articles reporting personality disorder prevalence rates in community populations (PROSPERO registration number: CRD42017065094).ResultsA total of 46 studies (from 21 different countries spanning 6 continents) satisfied inclusion criteria. The worldwide pooled prevalence of any personality disorder was 7.8% (95% CI 6.1–9.5). Rates were greater in high-income countries (9.6%, 95% CI 7.9–11.3%) compared with LMICs (4.3%, 95% CI 2.6–6.1%). In univariate meta-regressions, significant heterogeneity was partly attributable to study design (two-stage v. one-stage assessment), county income (high-income countries v. LMICs) and interview administration (clinician v. trained graduate). In multiple meta-regression analysis, study design remained a significant predictor of heterogeneity. Global rates of cluster A, B and C personality disorders were 3.8% (95% CI 3.2, 4.4%), 2.8% (1.6, 3.7%) and 5.0% (4.2, 5.9%).ConclusionsPersonality disorders are prevalent globally. Nevertheless, pooled prevalence rates should be interpreted with caution due to high levels of heterogeneity. More large-scale studies with standardised methodologies are now needed to increase our understanding of population needs and regional variations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Phan ◽  
Olivia Charlton ◽  
Saxon D. Smith

Abstract Background There is a significant variation in the reported prevalence of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), ranging from 0.03–4%. We hypothesized that this significant variation may be due to different prevalence rates of HS according to geographical location as well as sex. Objective We aimed to perform a meta-analysis to determine pooled overall prevalence of HS, prevalence stratified according to geographical region and sex. Materials and methods A systematic review was performed by searching Ovid Medline, PubMed, Cochrane Library, DARE, and Embase, from inception to August 2018. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. A meta-analysis of proportions was performed to determined pooled prevalence rates, with meta-regression based on geographic region. Prevalence in males versus females was also performed according to region. Results The overall pooled prevalence rate was 0.3% (0.2–0.6%) based on 118,760,093 HS cases available. Subgroup analysis demonstrated prevalence differences, with the highest being in Europe 0.8% (0.5–1.3%), compared to the USA 0.2% (0.1–0.4%), Asia-Pacific 0.2% (0.01–2.2%), and South America 0.2% (0.01–0.9%). Prevalence in males was lower compared to females in the USA (OR 0.403, 95% CI 0.37–0.439, P < 0.001) as well as in Europe (OR 0.635, 95% CI 0.397–1.015, P = 0.08) but not in the Asia-Pacific region (OR 0.936, 95% CI 0.319–2.751, P = 0.78). Conclusion Prevalence of HS varies significantly according to the geographical population. This variation is likely attributed to different ethnicity distributions amongst different continents. Level of evidence III


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Zebenay Workneh Bitew ◽  
Ayinalem Alemu ◽  
Zelalem Tenaw ◽  
Animut Alebel ◽  
Teshager Worku ◽  
...  

Introduction. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is an assemblage of interconnected cardiovascular risk factors that are prevalent among children and adolescents in high-income countries (HICs). Despite the presence of several studies on the issue, the study findings are incongruent due to the absence of a gold standard diagnostic method of MetS in children. Thus, the findings of the original studies are inconclusive for policy makers and other stakeholders. This systematic review and meta-analysis is aimed at giving conclusive evidence about MetS among children and adolescents in HICs. Methods. We conducted searches using electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL (EBSCOhost), EMBASE (Elsevier), and Medline (EBSCOhost)) and other sources (Google Scholar and Google) up to September 2020. Observational studies reporting the prevalence of MetS were eligible in this study. The pooled estimates were computed in fixed and random effect models using six diagnostic methods (IDF, ATP III, de Ferranti et al., WHO, Weiss et al., and Cruz and Goran). Publication bias was verified using funnel plots and Egger’s regression tests. Subgroup and sensitivity analysis were performed in case of higher heterogeneities among the included studies. Result. In this study, 77 studies with a total population of 125,445 children and adolescents were used in the final analysis. Metabolic syndrome among the overweight and obese population was computed from 28 studies with the pooled prevalence of 25.25%, 24.47%, 39.41%, 29.52%, and 33.36% in IDF, ATP III, de Ferranti et al., WHO, and Weiss et al. criteria, respectively. Likewise, 49 studies were eligible to compute the pooled prevalence of MetS in the general population of children and adolescents. Hence, MetS was found in 3.70% (IDF), 5.40% (ATP III), 14.78% (de Ferranti et al.), 3.90% (WHO), and, 4.66% (Cruz and Goran) of study participants. Regarding the components of MetS, abdominal obesity in the overweight and obese population, and low HDL-C in the general population were the most common components. Besides, the prevalence of Mets among males was higher than females. Conclusion. This study demonstrates that MetS among children and adolescents is undoubtedly high in HICs. The prevalence of MetS is higher among males than females. Community-based social and behavioral change communications need to be designed to promote healthy eating behaviors and physical activities. Prospective cohort studies could also help to explore all possible risk factors of MetS and to design specific interventions accordingly.


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