A systematic review of prevalence and correlates of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety in displaced Syrian population

Abstract

Since the beginning of the civil war in Syria, at least 13 million Syrians have been displaced. The vast influx of Syrians in resettlement countries has made it difficult to address the mental health problems of this population. Establishing policies around the risk factors are very fundamental for the social and political course of events and the well-being of Syrians. Thus, it is crucial to understand the correlates of mental health problems to establish effective prevention programmes. This systematic review synthesised literature investigating the prevalence and correlates of PTSD, depression, and anxiety of the externally displaced Syrian population. Following the PRISMA guideline, we searched EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycInfo, CINAHL and Web of Science databases. The search was limited to peer-reviewed articles published between March 2011 and 2021. Seventeen studies met full eligibility criteria. The confidence interval (95%) of the prevalence is between 23.26 and 42.63% (SE=4.48) for PTSD, 30.29 to 50.53% (SE=4.47) for depression and 17.66 to 48.93% (SE=5.62) for anxiety. The results indicate that the mental health problems of this population are 7–8 times higher than the general population. The relationships between sex, economic status and mental health problems are mixed across studies, with female Syrians in Turkey being at greater risk. Marital status, education level and resettlement period were not significant predictors, but the number of traumatic events predicted mental health problems. More population-based and statistically strong studies are needed to identify the mental health problems of this population and their risk factors to provide effective mental health interventions.