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Mood disorders and migration

Meta-analysis

Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre Utrecht, The Netherlands

Correspondence: Dr. J. P. Selten, University Hospital, PO Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, Reference Number A00.241, The Netherlands. Tel: + 31 30 2508180; fax: + 31 30 2505443; email: j.p.selten{at}umcutrecht.nl

Declaration of interest None.

Background Migration is a risk factor for the development of schizophrenia.

Aims To examine whether migration is also a risk factor for bipolar affective disorder, unipolar depressive disorder and mood disorders in general.

Method Medline was searched for population-based incidence studies concerning mood disorders among migrants and mean relative risks were computed using a mixed-effects statistical model.

Results Only a few studies of unipolar depressive disorder were retrieved. The mean relative risk of developing bipolar affective disorder among migrants was 2.47 (95% CI 1.33–4.59). However, after excluding people of African–Caribbean origin in the UK this risk was no longer significantly increased. The mean relative risk of mood disorders of unspecified polarity was 1.25 (95% CI 1.04–1.49) and that of any mood disorder was 1.38 (95% CI 1.17–1.62).

Conclusions There is no conclusive evidence for a large increase in the risk of mood disorders associated with migration.

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