A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Mental Health of Immigrant Parents

Recent studies have shown that immigrant parents are at risk for various mental health issues, but there is a lack of meta-analyses on their prevalence. This systematic review aims to determine the prevalence of mental health problems (e.g., stress, anxiety, depression, and psychiatric disorders) in immigrant parents and identify contributing factors. We systematically searched multiple databases up to July 2023 and evaluated the quality of studies using AHRQ criteria. Pooled prevalence and 95% CI were used to assess mental health issues among immigrant parents, with subgroup analysis performed to examine influencing factors. A total of 33 studies with 214,536 participants found that mental health issues affected immigrant parents at a rate of about 25%, peaking at depression with a rate of about 24%. In the Middle East, this rate rose to 35%. Non-random sampling resulted in rates up to 43%, while cross-sectional study designs led to rates around 23%. Refugee parents and immigrant parents with lower educational attainment, reduced socioeconomic status, or limited host-country language proficiency demonstrated significantly elevated prevalence rates of psychological morbidity. The psychological challenges faced by immigrant parents are widespread. Future research should focus on the mental well-being of specific subgroups, such as immigrants from the Middle East, fathers, and low-income families. More rigorous survey methods and study designs (such as random sampling and cohort studies) are necessary to improve their mental health.