The prevalence of psychiatric disorders among Yazidi people results from ISIS invasion and consecutive trauma: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND

The Yazidi community is a Kurdish minority of the population that lives mainly in Iraq. In history, they suffered from many problems and disasters, including the most recent brutal invasion by ISIS, which significantly impacted their mental health.

AIMS

Our objective is to examine the prevalence of psychiatric disorders among Yazidi people resulting from the invasion of ISIS in 2014.

METHODS

A systematic review was performed using the PRISMA protocol. 252 publications were initially identified in PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Google Scholar using relevant keywords. Finally, 23 full articles were included for data extraction. The inclusion criteria were English papers that investigated Yazidi's psychiatric problems, regardless of gender, or age. However, letters to editors, systematic reviews, and studies that examine general physical health were excluded.

RESULTS

A total of 252 publications were identified; 217 were assessed for eligibility, of which 23 studies met eligibility criteria and were included in the present systematic review. According to the findings, the Yazidi people were severely affected by persecution, forced migration, massacres, and ISIS violence in the recent period and suffered from a variety of mental and psychiatric problems. The most prevalent mental disorders among Yazidi people of all ages and sexes are PTSD, depression, and anxiety disorders.

CONCLUSION

This study indicates that the Yazidi minority is a traumatized population. According to the results of the current systematic review, the Yazidi have suffered from a variety of mental and psychological disorders, most commonly PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Eventually, addressing these challenges should be prioritized to improve the quality of life of Yazidis through implications for intervention.