This study was conducted in order to evaluate the prevalence and risk of mental disorders in the perinatal period among migrant women. Six databases (including MEDLINE) were searched from inception to October 19th, 2015, in addition to citation tracking. Studies were eligible if mental disorders were assessed with validated tools during pregnancy and up to 1 year postpartum among women born outside of the study country. Of 3241 abstracts screened, 53 met the inclusion criteria for the review. Only three studies investigated a mental disorder other than depression. Unadjusted odds ratios were pooled using random effects meta-analysis for elevated depression symptoms during pregnancy (n = 12) and the postpartum (n = 24), stratified by study country due to heterogeneity. Studies from Canada found an increased risk for antenatal (OR = 1.86, 95% CIs 1.32–2.62) and postnatal elevated depression symptoms (OR = 1.98, 95% CIs 1.57–2.49) associated with migrant status. Studies from the USA found a decreased risk of antenatal elevated depression symptoms (OR = 0.71, 95% CIs 0.51–0.99), and studies from the USA and Australia found no association between migrant status and postnatal elevated depression symptoms. Low social support, minority ethnicity, low socioeconomic status, lack of proficiency in host country language and refugee or asylum-seeking status all put migrant populations at increased risk of perinatal mental disorders. © 2017, The Author(s).

Perinatal mental health Refugees migrant women Asylum-seekers Antenatal depression Postpartum depression

anxiety depression Embase refugee Australia Cinahl randomized controlled trial (topic) human validation study Refugees Cochrane Library Odds Ratio perinatal period statistics and numerical data Pregnant Women ethnic group DSM-III priority journal Depressive Disorder social support ethnology Medline meta analysis mental disease United States social status migrant psychology Humans Canada female risk factor Risk Factors PsycINFO pregnancy Mothers prevalence Article mother adult migration posttraumatic stress disorder pregnant woman Transients and Migrants postnatal depression systematic review puerperium antenatal depression