Global lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Currently, studies on the lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia in the general population have not been updated or limited to a single country or region. The lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia may differ in other populations with certain relevant influencing factors or conditions. Globally, there is a lack of meta-analyses focusing on the lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia in specific populations. This study aims to determine the lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia in the general population, homeless populations, offenders, populations with comorbid mental disorders, populations with comorbid physical illnesses, populations at high genetic risk, populations exposed to stress, low-income populations, and indigenous populations, and to identify relevant factors.

Meta-analysis was used to estimate the combined lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia in the general population and eight other groups. To explore the sources of heterogeneity and identify factors associated with changes in prevalence, we conducted subgroup analyses of the general population, the homeless population, and the criminal population, examining geographic regions, sociodemographic factors, and methodological characteristics. Meta-regression in the general population examined the relationship between schizophrenia and mean age, publication year, and bias risk.

109 articles were included. Among them, 60 reported results from a sample of 20,910,871 individuals from the general population across 24 countries, 21 involved 6,605 individuals from the homeless population in 11 countries, there were 36 studies involving seven different population groups. The lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia is 0.62% (95% CI [0.51%-0.76%]) in the general population and 10.02% (95% CI [7.38%-13.47%]) in the homeless populations. Asia has the lowest lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia in both the general population and the homeless population, at 0.47% (95% CI [0.35%-0.64%]) and 4.68% (95% CI [2.11%-10.07%]).

Findings indicate that schizophrenia is more prevalent in special populations than in the general population. Understanding and addressing the risk factors contributing to elevated prevalence in vulnerable populations is essential for developing targeted prevention strategies and improving early intervention efforts.