Mood disorders and migration: meta-analysis.
BACKGROUND
Migration is a risk factor for the development of schizophrenia.


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


METHODS
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.
Swinnen
Sanne G H A
SG
Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Selten
Jean-Paul
JP
D000884:Anthropology, Cultural / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology