Abstract
Background: Somatic and psychopathological conditions (e.g., anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and somatization) are frequent among immigrants belonging to various ethnic groups. Worldwide findings on the epidemiology regarding specific mental conditions still vary with respect to different migration samples and migration contexts. This inconsistency also holds true in the incidence of somatization among migrants. We carried out a systematic review analyzing the relationship between migration and somatization by providing a qualitative data synthesis of original research articles on the topic.Methods: According to PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic search of the literature on PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, PsycINFO, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect. The articles were selected using multiple combinations of relevant search terms (e.g., defined somatization and related disorders, and migration status). Each database was searched systematically from January 2000 to December 2017.Results: The initial search identified 338 records, of which 42 research reports met the predefined inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Most studies (n = 38; 90%) were cross-sectional. The main findings of this study are that migrants with somatization exhibited more psychological distress, had an increased perceived need for healthcare service utilization, and reported more post-migration living difficulties and/or post-traumatic stress disorder than those without somatization. It was also found that specific individual features mediate the association between somatization and migration. The prevalence and correlates of somatization were found to vary across the immigrant groups, depending on cultural variation in reasons for migration, stress exposure, explanatory models of illness, coping, and other individual variables.Conclusion: Somatization is a challenge for health professionals due to its vague nature. In this regard, clinical management of immigrant patients should include further efforts to address emotional distress, with special attention to social, cultural, and linguistic differences.
Highlights
Migration can be defined as “a process of moving, either across an international border, or within a State
Based on the extant literature, we expected that: (1) somatization would be significantly associated with migration because of the supposed high exposure to stressful experiences in individuals with migratory backgrounds; and (2) the prevalence and correlates of somatization would vary across immigrant groups, depending on cultural variations in reasons for migration, trauma exposure, coping, and other individual variables
Of the 78 full text articles assessed for eligibility, n = 36 studies were excluded by focusing both on inclusion and exclusion criteria
Summary
Migration can be defined as “a process of moving, either across an international border, or within a State. Most migration processes may be conceptualized as a series of mainly stressful life events, each with the cumulative capacity to increase the risk for a broad range of mental health problems (Carta et al, 2005). Several studies indicate that the incidence of psychological distress (Carta et al, 2005), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Silove et al, 1998), major depressive disorder (Beirens and Fontaine, 2011), and somatization in diverse ethnic immigrant groups has increased all over the world (Haller et al, 2015). Worldwide findings on the epidemiology regarding specific mental conditions still vary with respect to different migration samples and migration contexts. This inconsistency holds true in the incidence of somatization among migrants. We carried out a systematic review analyzing the relationship between migration and somatization by providing a qualitative data synthesis of original research articles on the topic
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