Prevalence of mental disorders in South Asia: a systematic review of reviews

Vidyasagaran, Aishwarya Lakshmi, McDaid, David ORCID: 0000-0003-0744-2664, Faisal, Mehreen Riaz, Nasir, Muhammad, Muliyala, Krishna Prasad, Thekkumkara, Sreekanth, Wright, Judy, Huque, Rumana, Benkalkar, Saumit and Siddiqi, Najma (2023) Prevalence of mental disorders in South Asia: a systematic review of reviews. Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health, 10. p. 40. ISSN 2054-4251

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Abstract

Mental disorders are increasing in South Asia (SA), but their epidemiological burden is under-researched. We carried out a systematic umbrella review to estimate the prevalence of mental disorders and intentional self-harm in the region. Multiple databases were searched and systematic reviews reporting the prevalence of at least one mental disorder from countries in SA were included. Review data were narratively synthesised; primary studies of common mental disorders (CMDs) among adults were identified from a selected subset of reviews and pooled. We included 124 reviews. The majority ( n = 65) reported on mood disorders, followed by anxiety disorders ( n = 45). High prevalence of mental disorders and intentional self-harm was found in general adult and vulnerable populations. Two reviews met our pre-defined criteria for identifying primary studies of CMDs. Meta-analysis of 25 primary studies showed a pooled prevalence of 16.0% (95% CI = 11.0-22.0%, I 2 = 99.9%) for depression, 12.0% (5.0-21.0%, I 2 = 99.9%) for anxiety, and 14.0% (10.0-19.0, I 2 = 99.9%) for both among the general adult population; pooled estimates varied by country and assessment tool used. Overall, reviews suggest high prevalence for mental disorders in SA, but evidence is limited on conditions other than CMDs.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/global-men...
Additional Information:	© 2023 The Author(s)
Divisions:	Care Policy and Evaluation Centre
Subjects:	R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC0321 Neuroscience. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Date Deposited:	23 Nov 2023 16:03
Last Modified:	18 Nov 2024 22:27
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/120854

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