International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume 15, Issue 9, 2018

Prevalence of depression among migrants: A systematic review and meta-analysis (Review) (Open Access)

Foo S.Q.* , Tam W.W. , Ho C.S. , Tran B.X. , Nguyen L.H. , McIntyre R.S. , Ho R.C.
  • a Department of Psychological Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119228, Singapore
  • b Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119077, Singapore
  • c Department of Psychological Medicine, National University Health System, Singapore, 119228, Singapore
  • d Institute for Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi, 100000, Viet Nam
  • e Institute for Global Health Innovations, Duy Tan University, Da Nang, 550000, Viet Nam
  • f Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
  • g Department of Psychological Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119228, Singapore

Abstract

As the number of migrants worldwide increases, it is worthwhile to examine the extent to which depression has affected this group of often vulnerable individuals. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to examine the aggregate prevalence of depression among international migrants and to explore the variations in prevalence with demographic and educational factors. A search was conducted on the online databases PubMed and ScienceDirect whole using the terms “depression”, “depressive disorder”, “immigration”, “immigrant”, “migration”, and “migrant”. A total of 25 studies met our inclusion criteria. A random-effects model meta-analysis calculated an aggregate prevalence of 15.6% among migrants. Heterogeneity was identified by meta-regression and subgroup analyses, and the level of educational attainment, employment status, and length of residency spent in country of migration were found to be significant moderators contributing to depression prevalence. In conclusion, newly arrived migrants appear to be susceptible to developing depression and it is imperative that more in the form of preventive strategies and increased assistance be incorporated to ensure their psychological wellbeing and improve their mental health outcomes. Further research should be conducted to better understand the risk of psychiatric disorders among members of this subpopulation. © 2018, MDPI AG. All rights reserved.

Author Keywords

migrant Migration Depression

Index Keywords

Vulnerable Populations vulnerable population South Korea depression educational status Australia demography mental health human statistics and numerical data medical research Depressive Disorder Taiwan Dominican Republic meta analysis United States Humans migrant psychology male Canada Spain female risk factor Risk Factors Review Greece prevalence employment status migration New Zealand psychological well-being disease predisposition Models, Statistical Emigration and Immigration Hong Kong statistical model Transients and Migrants systematic review
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85053625471&doi=10.3390%2fijerph15091986&partnerID=40&md5=d659d70e7544cf3e05e9cc0170cd033b
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15091986
ISSN: 16617827
Cited by: 8
Original Language: English