Abstract
BackgroundThe 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.MethodsSeven 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.ResultsEleven 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.ConclusionsDespite 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.
Highlights
In 2020, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that the number of forcibly displaced people had reached a record high of 82.4 million people [1]
The UNHCR reports that the current global refugee population has almost doubled since 2012, owing greatly to the outbreak of the war in Syria beginning in March 2011 [3]
Eligibility criteria Studies that measured the prevalence rates of at least one common mental disorder (PTSD, depression and generalized anxiety disorder) in Syrian adult refugees (> 18 years) who have resettled in a high income Western country were considered eligible for this review
Summary
In 2020, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that the number of forcibly displaced people had reached a record high of 82.4 million people [1] Of this growing population, it is estimated that 26.4 million people are of refugee status – the Nguyen et al BMC Psychiatry (2022) 22:15 recognition that one has been forced to flee their country due to war, violence or the well-founded fear of persecution [1, 2]. The prolonging of what was initially viewed as a temporary conflict meant that these nations were unable to keep up with the influx of displaced people [6] These unstable living arrangements were partly responsible for the movement of over one million Syrian refugees into Europe in 2015 alone [6]. Whilst it is known that the prevalence of mental illness is higher within refugee populations, this systematic review and metaanalysis aims to pool the prevalence rates of common mental disorders (namely posttraumatic stress disorder, depres‐ sion and generalized anxiety disorder) in adult Syrian refugees resettled in high income Western countries
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
