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Meta-Analysis
. 2020 May;141(5):410-420.
doi: 10.1111/acps.13147. Epub 2020 Jan 20.

Age at migration and the risk of psychotic disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis

K K Anderson  1   2   3 , J Edwards  1   3
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Age at migration and the risk of psychotic disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis

K K Anderson et al. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2020 May.

Abstract

Objective: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the existing evidence on the association between age at migration and the risk of psychotic disorders.

Methods: Observational studies were eligible for inclusion if they presented data on the association between age at migration and the risk of psychotic disorders among first-generation migrant groups. We used two random effects meta-analyses to pool effect estimates for each stratum of age at migration relative to (i) a native-born reference category and (ii) the youngest age stratum (0 to 2 years).

Results: Ten studies met inclusion criteria, and five were included in the meta-analysis. The risk of psychotic disorder among people who migrate prior to age 18 is nearly twice as high as the native-born population, with no evidence of effect modification by age strata. People who migrate during early adulthood (19 to 29 years) have a similar risk of psychotic disorder as the native-born population (IRR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.60, 1.44) and a lower risk relative to those who migrate during infancy (0 to 2 years) (IRR = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.33, 1.04).

Conclusions: Migrant status is one of few well-established risk factors for psychotic disorder, yet we have limited understanding of the underlying etiology. The findings of this review advance our understanding of this association and identify high-risk groups to target for intervention.

Keywords: emigrants and immigrants; incidence; psychotic disorders; refugees.

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References

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