[Anxiety, Depression and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Refugees - A Systematic Review]

Anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder are the main psychopathological symptoms shown by refugees. We conducted a systematic review. First, we identified key-words for a systematic search in PUBMED. We included original articles since 2009 with 1) a non-clinical sample of refugees, 2) refugees living at maximum 5 years in the host country, 4) with the outcomes anxiety, depression, and PTSD and 5) a sample with >100 participants. Then we read titles, abstracts and fulltexts. We identified 1 877 studies. Based on this screening procedure, we included in our review 15 studies. 52% of the refugees are from Africa (Somalia, Congo, Rwanda, Liberia, Sierra-Leon and Togo), 33% from Asia (Syria, Bhutan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Iraq) and 16% are from more than one continent. In those studies n=6 769 refugees participated in the studies. The number of participants varied from n=117 to n=1,422 (Median: n=366 refugees). Prevalence rates for PTBS varied from 5-71% (mean prevalence rate: 32%) rates for depression varied from 11-54% (mean prevalence rate: 35%). Sensitivity analyses suggest that refugees, which come from countries with intense human rights violations according to the Political Terror Scale, have an increased rate of psychopathological symptoms. Heterogeneity of prevalence rate is related both 1) to methodological and 2) to difference in the refugee populations according to the human rights violations in the countries of origin of refugees. It is necessary to include further databases in a systematic review. There is an urgent need for representative studies on refugees needs for psychosocial and medical care, especially for those refugees coming from countries with intense human rights violations. Psychosocial and medical services for these refugees are urgently needed to enhance and enable a perspective in the host country Germany.