Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 28, 2025

Individualized rTMS Treatment for Depression using an fMRI-Based Targeting Method
Published on: August 2, 2021
Prevalence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among refugees: a meta-analysis
Elisa Haase1, Antje Schönfelder2, Yuriy Nesterko2
1Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig, Neumarkt 9-19, 03081, Leipzig, Germany. elisa.haase@uni-leipzig.de.
Background:
Suicidal ideation and attempts are one of the most serious mental health problems affecting refugees. Risk factors such as mental disorders, low socio-economic status, and stressful life events all contribute to making refugees a high-risk group. For this reason, this meta-analysis aims to investigate the prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempts among refugees in non-clinical populations.
Method:
We searched PubMed, Web of Science, PubPsych, and PsycInfo for articles reporting (period) prevalence rates of suicidal ideation and attempts. Inclusion criteria were the population of refugees or asylum seekers (aged 16 years and older), assessment of the prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempts in empirical studies in cross-sectional or longitudinal settings, written in English, and published by August 2020. Exclusion criteria were defined as a population of immigrants who have lived in the host country for a long time, studies that examined children and adolescents younger than 16 years, and research in clinical samples. Overall prevalence rates were calculated using Rstudio.
Results:
Of 294 matches, 11 publications met the inclusion criteria. The overall period prevalence of suicidal ideation was 20.5% (CI: 0.11-0.32, I2 = 98%, n = 8), 22.3% (CI: 0.10-0.38, I2 = 97%, n = 5) for women, and 27.7% for men (CI: 0.14-0.45, I2 = 93%, n = 3). Suicide attempts had an overall prevalence of 0.57% (CI: 0.00-0.02, I2 = 81%, n = 4).
Conclusion:
There is a great lack of epidemiological studies on suicidal ideation and attempts among refugees. The high prevalence of suicidal ideation indicates the existence of heavy psychological burden among this population. The prevalence of suicide attempts is similar to that in non-refugee populations. Because of the large heterogeneity between studies, the pooled prevalence estimates must be interpreted with caution. The results underline the need for systematic and standardized assessment and treatment of suicidal ideation and attempts.
More Related Videos
11:31Rapid Fractionation and Isolation of Whole Blood Components in Samples Obtained from a Community-based Setting
Published on: November 30, 2015
08:42Design and Implementation of an fMRI Study Examining Thought Suppression in Young Women with, and At-risk, for Depression
Published on: May 19, 2015
Related Concept Videos
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia
Surveys
Depressive Disorders: Etiology
Biological Factors in Depression
Biological predispositions significantly influence the risk of developing depressive disorders. Genetic studies highlight the role of variations in the serotonin transporter...
Ethnic Identity within a Larger Culture
Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents
Bias in Epidemiological Studies