Prevalence quantifies the proportion of individuals in a population who have a disease during a specific time-period while incidence refers to the number of new cases of disease that develop in a population during a specific time-period while. In disorders of short duration incidence and prevalence rates may be similar, however with disorders of long duration such as with schizophrenia there can be variation between the two.

What is the evidence regarding prevalence of schizophrenia in refugees?

High quality evidence finds the overall prevalence of psychotic disorders, mostly schizophrenia spectrum, is 1.5% in refugees and asylum seekers. Studies were undertaken in Australia, Germany, Italy, Lebanon, Norway, United Kingdom, and the United States of America. Refugees were from Azerbaijan, former Yugoslavia, Middle East, Africa, Palestine, and Russia.

April 2022

Image: ©route55 – stock.adobe.com

The post Prevalence in refugees appeared first on NeuRA Library.

Prevalence represents the overall proportion of individuals in a population who have the disorder of interest. It is different from incidence, which represents only the new cases that have developed over a particular time period. Point prevalence is the proportion of individuals who have the disorder at a given point in time. Period prevalence is the proportion of individuals who have the disorder over specific time periods. Lifetime prevalence is the proportion of individuals who have ever had the disorder. Lifetime morbid risk also includes those who had the disorder but were deceased at the time of the survey.

What is the evidence for the prevalence of PTSD in refugees?

High quality evidence finds the overall prevalence of PTSD is around 31% in refugees and asylum seekers. Rates were highest in women, in refugees from Africa, and in smaller studies. Rates varied according to diagnostic scale, with the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale showing highest rates (40%), and the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview showing lowest rates (26%).

Moderate to high quality evidence finds the prevalence of PTSD in war-affected refugees and citizens is also around 31%. Rates were highest in those exposed to recent conflict. They were also highest in those exposed to torture, to more traumatic events, and to political terrorism. They were highest in people from Cambodia, Bosnia, Kosovo, and Africa.

Moderate quality evidence finds the prevalence of PTSD in adult Syrian refugees living in Western or Middle Eastern countries is 43%. The prevalence of PTSD in Iraqi refugees living in Western countries is up to 37%.

Moderate quality evidence finds the prevalence of PTSD in child and adolescent refugees is around 23%. Rates were highest in those displaced for less than two years and in those with an insecure visa status.

April 2022

Image: ©route55 – stock.adobe.com

The post Prevalence in refugees appeared first on NeuRA Library.

Over the past two decades, the number of forcibly displaced migrants has grown due to ongoing conflicts in countries around the world. Compared to the general population, refugees experience considerably higher levels of psychological distress due to major losses and exposure to events such as torture and war. Post-displacement stressors are also apparent, including those associated with resettlement, language barriers, and perceived stigma and discrimination. Any of these trauma exposures can contribute to higher rates of mental health conditions, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety.

What is the evidence on psychotherapy for PTSD in refugees and asylum seekers?

Moderate quality evidence found a medium to large effect of improved PTSD symptoms with psychological therapies, particularly CBT with a trauma-focussed component, when compared to waitlist, treatment as usual, or no treatment. Depression and anxiety symptoms also improved with psychological therapies. These outcomes were maintained post-treatment (1-18 months). There were no differences in effectiveness for PTSD symptoms between individual and group interventions.

August 2021

Image: ©route55 – stock.adobe.com

The post Therapies for refugees and asylum seekers appeared first on NeuRA Library.

Incidence refers to how many new cases there are per population in a specified time period. It is different from prevalence, which refers to how many existing cases there are at a particular point in time. Incidence is usually reported as the number of new cases per 100,000 people per year. Alternatively some studies present the number of new cases that have accumulated over several years against a person-years denominator. This denominator is the sum of individual units of time that the persons in the population are at risk of developing schizophrenia. It takes into account the size of the underlying population sample and its age structure over the duration of observation. Differences in the incidence of a disorder can provide clues to its possible causes. For example, a population register with information gained from consensus data helps to identify all adults who were born within a certain time period (an age cohort) and where they were born. Cross linking this information with a mental health register can be used to identify those who received treatment for schizophrenia over particular times. This can provide information regarding the incidence of schizophrenia within different groups.

What is the evidence for incidence of schizophrenia in refugees?

Moderate quality evidence finds small to medium-sized effects of increased incidence of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders in refugee groups after migration (up to 10 years) compared to native-born populations and non-refugee immigrants. The incidence was highest in refugee men and in refugees from the Middle East.

April 2022

Image: ©route55 – stock.adobe.com

The post Incidence in refugees appeared first on NeuRA Library.