Understanding depression symptom heterogeneity in South Asian minority groups: systematic scoping review

Depression is the most common mental illness globally and is a leading cause of years lived with disability. The manifestation of depressive symptoms can vary among ethnic groups. Individuals in South Asian countries experience higher levels of somatic symptoms than those in other regions, but it is not known whether this pattern extends to the South Asian diaspora.

To provide a qualitative synthesis of what is known regarding depression symptoms among the South Asian diaspora in English-speaking countries.

A systematic scoping review was conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews guidelines, based on a pre-registered protocol (doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/5E6ZK). The review included qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods primary research, reporting depression symptoms based on samples of adults of the South Asian diaspora in English-speaking countries with substantial South Asian populations. Qualitative content analysis was used to identify widely reported symptoms of depression among the South Asian diaspora.

Commonly reported symptoms included physical pain, heart-related symptoms and repetitive negative thinking, none of which are included in ICD-11 diagnostic criteria for depressive disorders. Sleep-related disturbances are also widely reported in research into experiences of depression among the South Asian diaspora.

Current diagnostic criteria for depression might not capture symptoms of some South Asian individuals, which may cause missed opportunities for intervention.