Prevalence and risk factors associated with mental disorders among migrants in the MENA region: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: The MENA region has experienced extraordinary events in recent years, resulting in an influx of refugees and displaced people who are vulnerable to mental disorders. Several previous studies have examined their prevalence, but none have focused on this region. This systematic review provided an estimate of the prevalence of mental illness and associated risk factors in the MENA region, and overcame the methodological limitations of individual studies. Methods: Thorough searches of the relevant databases were carried out to locate relevant published articles. Furthermore, cross-sectional studies were conducted to assess mental disorders in refugees, asylum seekers, migrants, or internally displaced people residing in the MENA region. Only studies meeting the aforementioned criteria were considered. For this purpose, RStudio software version 2023.12.0 + 369 with netmeta package was used for measurement and data analysis. JBI used to assess study quality. Results: The results, including 32 cross-sectional studies with a total of 21659 participants were obtained and discussed. The overall prevalence was 42% (95% CI; 30%, 54%) for depression, 43% (95% CI; 31%, 57%) for anxiety, 22% (95% CI; 11%, 39%) for stress, and 45% (95% CI; 36%, 53%) for PTSD. As a result, it was noted that being female was associated with depression, and being female and unemployed was associated with PTSD, however being married was protective against this later. Conclusion: Compared to the rest of the globe, MENA has a greater rate of mental illness among refugees. Nevertheless, much effort should be devoted on listing causes associated, as well as their management and prevention.