Access to mental healthcare for refugees, asylum seekers and migrants: an umbrella review of barriers

Objective
To identify the factors that prevent or hinder access to mental healthcare services for refugees, asylum seekers and migrants.

Design
An umbrella review was conducted on scoping reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analyses and meta-syntheses published between January 2013 and December 2023.

Data sources
The databases searched (on 11 December 2023) included PubMed (via NCBI, including MEDLINE), Embase (via Embase.com), Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (via Cochrane Library). Search strings were categorised as concepts, wherein concept one was population (refugees, asylum seekers and migrants), concept two was mental health services and concept three was the type of review (systematic review, meta-analysis, scoping review or literature review).

Eligibility criteria for selecting studies
Reviews were included if study participants were refugees, asylum seekers and migrants. Additionally, mental health-providing services or organisations and mental health providers were included. Excluded study participants were people with a migration background and second- or third-generation migrants.

Data extraction and synthesis
Two independent reviewers screened the identified articles on title and abstract. The 48 full-text articles were assessed in detail against inclusion and exclusion criteria by the two researchers and one person from the Belgian Superior Health Council.

Results
18 reviews were included. The extensive literature review identified various factors that prevent and restrict access to mental healthcare services for individuals with a recent migration background. Among the eight concepts of barriers, the most frequently mentioned were stigma and stigmatisation, language and communication challenges, financial obstacles, cultural barriers (including religious beliefs and faith) and issues with service delivery. Additionally, differences in culture, education and gender were recognised as factors limiting access to mental health services. Recommendations for policy and practice included implementing a multidisciplinary and multi-agency approach to facilitate access for newly arriving migrants and refugees, increasing financial allocations for translation and interpretation services, enabling policies to promote mental health utilisation and introducing educational programmes at the grassroot level among migrants and refugees.

Conclusion
Policy implementation should address the identified barriers and be routinely assessed for efficacy in service delivery and uptake. Future research should focus on enabling the utilisation of mental healthcare services among migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees.

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Giugno 2025

[Articles] Efficacy and tolerability of pharmacological interventions for schizophrenia non-responsive to prior treatment: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Clozapine remains the gold standard, outperforming several antipsychotics, while specific combinations may offer added benefits but require careful risk-benefit evaluation. Networks sparsity increases the likelihood of chance findings for estimates based on single studies. These results emphasise the need for personalised treatment, further research comparing non-clozapine antipsychotic combinations to high-dose clozapine monotherapy, and studies on long-term outcomes.

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Giugno 2025

Global prevalence of ultra-short coeliac disease (USCD): the first systematic review and meta-analysis

We reviewed the recent cohort study by Raju et al1 on ultra-short coeliac disease (USCD), the first multicentre international study assessing the characteristics of this new entity and comparing them to classic coeliac disease. The study revealed findings that may necessitate a re-evaluation of the current diagnostic guidelines and screening protocols. However, the results showed disparities in USCD prevalence rates among biopsy-confirmed cases across centres, ranging from 0.2% to 8.8%. Moreover, the study did not report the number of bulb biopsies conducted at each centre. Hence, we aimed to systematically assess the global prevalence of USCD and determine factors that might influence its rates. See the for subgroup analyses and methodology. Literature was searched from inception to June 2024 (PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, Scopus) for studies reporting the prevalence of USCD, using the term or reporting seropositive cases with villous atrophy (VA) confined to the bulb

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Giugno 2025

Spatial and spatio-temporal analysis for malaria hotspot identification: a scoping review protocol

Introduction
Malaria hotspots have been the focus of public health managers during the last two decades because of the potential elimination gains that can be obtained by targeting them. Advances in spatial technologies in the 20th century such as geographic information systems, remotely sensed satellite data on climate and ecology, and statistical methods for spatial cluster detection have enhanced our ability to map fine-scale patterns of malaria transmission. This led to the diversification of analytical approaches and a lack of consensus on methods and standardised indicators for malaria hotspot detection, raising challenges for comparing and synthesising findings across different studies. This review aims to fill this gap by identifying and summarising all publicly available peer-reviewed articles on spatial and spatio-temporal analytical approaches used to detect malaria hotspots while highlighting research gaps.

Methods
This scoping review will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute Framework. A comprehensive search will be conducted in PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, Scopus and Embase using keywords related to malaria, hotspots and detection. Retrieved articles published between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2024 in English or French will be uploaded to Covidence for screening. Empirical studies that apply spatial or spatio-temporal analytical methods to detect malaria hotspots will be included. Studies will be excluded if they rely solely on geographical visualisation without formal spatial analysis. Data extraction will be performed by two independent reviewers, with disagreements resolved by discussion. Data will be summarised using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.

Ethics and dissemination
This scoping review will involve the secondary analysis of published literature on malaria hotspot analysis; therefore, ethics approval is not required. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews checklist will be used to ensure transparency and methodological rigour in reporting. The findings will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at scientific conferences via abstracts, oral or poster presentations.

Trial egistration number
This review has been registered on the Open Science Framework under the DOI: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/C8KUN.

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Giugno 2025

Studies on cognitive performance among older people living with HIV in eastern Europe and central Asia: a scoping review

Background
Despite the growth of the population of older people living with HIV (PLWH), data on cognitive disorders among older PLWH, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, are scarce. These data are especially underrepresented in the literature from eastern Europe and central Asia (EECA).

Objectives
This scoping review aimed to describe the peer-reviewed literature on cognitive health among PLWH in the EECA region.

Eligibility criteria
We selected articles from peer-reviewed journals that reported on cognitive assessments or the prevalence and characteristics of cognitive disorders among adult (≥18 years) PLWH in EECA countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan). Studies assessing cognition among PLWH related to traumatic brain injury, brain tumours, COVID-19, meningitis, neurosyphilis and/or other central nervous system infections were excluded.

Source of evidence
We searched for relevant data published up to March 2025 using four online databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science and PsycINFO).

Charting methods
Covidence, a web-based collaborative software platform, was used for data screening and extraction. Two independent reviewers screened abstracts and full texts, resolving disagreements through consensus. The data were extracted based on the predefined data extraction criteria.

Results
A total of 1388 peer-reviewed articles were identified; 295 articles were removed due to duplication; and 1053 and 25 articles were excluded based on the abstract/title and full-text screenings, respectively. Finally, 15 articles met the inclusion criteria. All 15 studies used different neuropsychological assessments to measure cognitive performance by domain and/or cognitive disorders among various subgroups of PLWH. One cross-sectional study focused on older populations (≥40 years old), using standardised cognitive performance assessment tests. However, it neither provided information about the prevalence estimate of cognitive disorders nor identified risk factors.

Conclusion
Existing literature on cognitive disorders among older PLWH in the EECA region is limited and insufficient to estimate prevalence, or identify risk factors, and ultimately develop appropriate policy addressing the needs of older PLWH in this region. This scoping review underscores the urgent need for large-scale, longitudinal studies employing standardised, culturally adapted neuropsychological batteries and adherence to rigorous reporting standards.

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Giugno 2025

Prevalence and factors influencing fear of disease progression in stroke patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis with a focus on China

Objectives
To systematically estimate the prevalence and influencing factors of fear of disease progression (FoP) in patients who had a stroke, with a focus on China.

Design
Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational clinical studies.

Data sources
Eight databases (China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), CBM, Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase) were searched from inception to March 2024, supplemented by manual reference screening.

Eligibility criteria
Cross-sectional studies reporting FoP incidence or influencing factors in Chinese stroke patients using the Fear of Progression Questionnaire-Short Form scale were included.

Data extraction and synthesis
Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data and assessed study quality using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality tool (score range: 0–11 points). Random-effects models were applied to address substantial heterogeneity. Stata 17.0 software was used for meta-analysis.

Results
A total of 20 studies (15 medium-quality, 5 high-quality) involving 7156 patients were included. The pooled incidence of FoP in Chinese stroke patients was 56% (95% CI=45% to 66%), derived from a random-effects model despite significant between-study heterogeneity (I²= 98.7%), with subgroup analyses and leave-one-out sensitivity analysis confirming result robustness. Subgroup analysis revealed that the incidence was highest in East China (70%, 95% CI=56% to 83%), followed by Central China (55%, 95% CI=36% to 73%) and North China (43%, 95% CI=38% to 47%). The incidence of FoP in haemorrhagic stroke (72%, 95% CI=49% to 95%) was higher than that in ischaemic stroke (45%, 95% CI=27% to 64%). The incidence of FoP after 2020 (59%, 95% CI=48% to 70%) was higher than that before 2020 (40%, 95% CI=32% to 47%). Meta-regression identified publication year (p=0.004) and research region (p=0.001) as key heterogeneity sources. The main influencing factors of FoP in Chinese stroke patients included age (OR=0.94, 95% CI=0.92 to 0.97, p

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Giugno 2025

Association between medical comorbidities at diagnosis and paediatric acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and lymphoblastic lymphoma outcomes: protocol for a systematic review

Introduction
Medical comorbidity at diagnosis is associated with treatment outcome in cancer. The aim of this project is to synthesise the evidence on the association between medical comorbidities and paediatric acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and lymphoblastic lymphoma outcomes.

Methods and analysis
A systematic review of the literature will be conducted by developing a search strategy that will combine medical subject headings and natural language key words related to acute lymphoblastic leukaemia or lymphoma, medical comorbidities and treatment-related outcomes. We will search MEDLINE and EMBASE to identify studies in human subjects and written in English from the inception of each database to 30 September 2022. Two authors will independently screen the titles and abstracts of retrieved studies based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria to identify potentially eligible studies. Full-text articles of eligible studies and final included articles will be retrieved and reviewed in a similar manner by two independent reviewers. Data extraction from included articles will be conducted independently by two authors using a standardised data extraction form. Risk of bias in the included studies will be assessed using existing relevant tools. A narrative and tabular summary of the data, including outcomes, will be provided if the data do not warrant a meta-analysis. If a meta-analysis is feasible, we will pool all the effect estimates. Heterogeneity among study effect sizes will be tested with Cochran’s Q test and quantified by the I2 statistic.

Ethics and dissemination
This study will not include the collection of original data, but it will be a summary of aggregate existing data. Thus, ethics approval is not applicable. The findings of the study will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications.

PROSPERO registration number
CRD42022366669.

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Giugno 2025

Tertiary prevention interventions for patients with stroke in African countries: a systematic review

Objectives
To summarise the best available evidence on tertiary prevention interventions for patients with stroke conducted in African countries, identify the gaps in stroke prevention research and augment efforts to establish stroke rehabilitation guidelines in African countries.

Design
We performed a systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement on the basis of a published protocol.

Data sources
We conducted a systematic search of nine electronic databases, including PubMed, the Cochrane Library and African Index Medicus, published until August 2023 and additionally contacted authors and screened reference lists.

Eligibility criteria
We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and prospective cohort studies on African adult patients with a clinical diagnosis of stroke. The primary outcome was global disability, and secondary outcomes were neurologic function scales.

Data extraction and synthesis
Two authors independently screened the search results, with data extracted by one author and verified by a second author. The data were narratively synthesised. A meta-analysis was done using a random-effects model for metric data using standardised mean differences. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool.

Results
Of 3305 publications, 25 studies met the inclusion criteria involving cumulatively 973 patients with subacute and chronic stroke. Two-thirds of the trials were conducted in Nigeria and Egypt. The interventions covered physiotherapeutic, electrophysiologic, psychotherapeutic and transitional care domains with mostly beneficial outcomes. All included studies were RCTs with some concerns about methodologic quality.

Conclusion
This systematic review comprises heterogeneous effective interventions for tertiary stroke prevention mostly conducted in small productive research clusters. There is a growing body of research from African countries covering important fields of stroke rehabilitation, including local adaptations of the rehabilitation process and new knowledge concerning transcranial magnetic stimulation. There remains an urgent need to implement interventions aimed at overcoming barriers to stroke rehabilitation.

PROSPERO registration number
CRD42020159125.

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Giugno 2025

[Articles] Balancing the benefits and risks of colchicine use among patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: an umbrella review of meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials

High-certainty evidence supported the therapeutic and secondary preventive benefits of colchicine in patients with ASCVD when dose and duration were appropriately controlled. Future studies could focus on identifying ASCVD subgroups with pharmacogenomic and ethnographic predictors of colchicine response heterogeneity to guide precision therapy.

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Giugno 2025

[Articles] Risk of cardiovascular disease among cancer survivors: systematic review and meta-analysis

This meta-analysis provides an up-to-date comprehensive global overview that cancer survivors had increased risk of CVD and 17 CVD subtypes than non-cancer controls. CVD risk evaluation and management need to be prioritized in cancer survivors, particularly among male, younger, and specific cancer survivors (brain, hematological, respiratory, male genital, and breast). This study provides supporting evidence that may inform future updates to guidelines for CVD prevention in cancer survivors, highlighting its public health relevance.

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Giugno 2025

Effectiveness of postpartum care to improve womens health and quality of life in Southeast Asia: a scoping review protocol

Introduction
The first 3 months post partum is a critical transition period for women and families, which is characterised by physical, psychological and social adaptation. The first year post partum is also a critical phase for women’s health, given their physical recovery and adjustment to motherhood. The WHO 2023 recommendations highlight the importance of a postnatal care focus, including maternal health assessment, mental health support, nutritional interventions, postpartum contraceptive use and home care visits. This scoping review aims to map the evidence of the effectiveness of postpartum care on women’s health and quality of life in the Southeast Asia region.

Methods and analysis
This scoping review will be guided by the methodological principles developed by Arksey and O’Malley. This review will also consider observational studies, including cohort studies, case-control studies and cross-sectional studies. For inclusion, studies should be selected for eligibility based on the following criteria: articles investigating the uptake of postpartum women (women who have had childbirth up to 42 days after delivery) in Southeast Asian countries. The search will comprise peer-reviewed articles from 2013 to 2023 from the following electronic databases: PubMed/MEDLINE, ProQuest, EBSCO, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar. We use both keywords in the title and/or abstract and subject headings as appropriate. We will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) Protocols to develop the protocol and use the PRISMA flow diagram to present the results for scoping reviews.

Ethics and dissemination
A scoping review is a novel approach for examining the breadth of literature regarding the connection between the effectiveness of postpartum care and women’s health and quality of life and, as a secondary analysis, does not require ethics approval. The results of this review will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at relevant conferences.

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Giugno 2025

Development of a taxonomy mapping dental services integration: a scoping review protocol

Introduction
The integration of dental services within the broader healthcare landscape is crucial for achieving integrated healthcare delivery. However, we lack a clear representation of the full spectrum of possible dental service integration, which is necessary for policymakers, healthcare system organisers, researchers, professionals and patients themselves to optimise organisations. Our present research aims to establish the foundation for a taxonomy of dental services that is fully integrated into the health domain, while minimising historical, cultural or epistemological biases.

Methods and analysis
This protocol outlines a scoping review that will adhere to the framework of the Joanna Briggs Institute and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. It has also been registered on the Open Science Framework. The research team, including a patient representative, advocate and transdisciplinary researcher, who has been involved from the inception, describes a two-phase dynamic screening process. An initial search will be conducted in the PubMed database using a Boolean search strategy based on theoretical frameworks that view health through a biopsychosocial continuum. New taxa will be progressively identified, and in the second phase, we will develop a new search strategy based on the results obtained and will explore deeper into certain categories or subcategories of taxa. Iterative strategies may also involve using new databases and even grey literature. This process will be repeated until taxon saturation is achieved and will be updated prior to submission to capture the latest literature, ultimately resulting in a comprehensive taxonomy, at the scale of individual healthcare pathways (micro- and meso-levels of organisation).

Ethics and dissemination
This scoping review will analyse published secondary data and does not require ethical review. The findings will be disseminated through publication in scientific journals, presentation at conferences and sharing through professional networks.

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Giugno 2025

Impact of menopause education interventions on knowledge, symptoms and quality of life: protocol for a systematic review

Introduction
The menopause transition is a critical period of life for women associated with a variety of symptoms that may impact health status and quality of life. Menopause education can improve menopause knowledge and self-efficacy, leading to the adaptation of self-management strategies that may reduce menopause symptom burden and enhance quality of life. The purpose of this review is to systematically evaluate the research on the effect of menopause education interventions among midlife women (age 35–55 years) on menopause knowledge, self-efficacy, symptoms and quality of life.

Methods and analysis
This protocol is guided by the 2015 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols. We will comprehensively search for articles published from all publication years through December 2024 in PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, ProQuest Dissertation and Theses, and Scopus. The search strategy will include the following key terms and Medical Subject Headings terms: ‘menopause’, ‘menopausal’, ‘menopause transition’, ‘climacteric’, ‘health promotion’, ‘health education’ and ‘patient education’. Eligible studies will be experimental or quasi-experimental and include midlife women (age 35–55 years) who have received a menopause education intervention. Studies must report on the impact of menopause education interventions on menopause knowledge, self-efficacy, symptoms or quality of life. Only peer-reviewed articles and dissertations in English and Spanish will be included. Behavioural interventions (diet, physical activity, yoga) and medical interventions will be excluded. Two reviewers will independently perform data extraction and assess study quality/risk of bias with the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool for randomised experimental studies (RoB2) and the Risk of Bias in Non-Randomized Studies of Interventions tool (ROBINS-I). A narrative approach will be used to synthesise findings.

Ethics and dissemination
Ethical approval is not required for this systematic review of published literature. Findings will be disseminated via peer-reviewed journal publications, presentations at professional scientific meetings and social media.

PROSPERO registration number
CRD42024599106.

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Giugno 2025

Duration of antibiotherapy for patients with diabetic foot osteomyelitis without amputation: a protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Introduction
Diabetic foot osteomyelitis (DFO) poses a serious threat to the quality of life and survival of patients, and systemic antibiotic therapy is effective and plays a pivotal role in the management of patients with DFO without amputation. However, the optimal duration of systemic antibiotic therapy is not clear. We aim to perform a network meta-analysis (NMA) to assess the efficacy and safety of different durations of antibiotic therapy for patients with DFO without amputation.

Methods and analysis
We will search multiple databases, including the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP database, Wanfang Data, ScienceDirect, EBSCO, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and PubMed. The outcome indicators are remission rate, time needed for complete wound healing, major amputation rates and the rate of antibiotic-related adverse events. Risk of bias will be evaluated using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. NMA will be performed using STATA/MP V.15.0. The surface under the cumulative ranking area will be calculated to rank each treatment.

Ethics and dissemination
This study is a systematic review protocol collecting data from published literature and does not require approval from an institutional review board. Results from this systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

PROSPERO registration number
CRD42023486089.

Leggi
Giugno 2025

Social determinants of homelessness from childhood to adolescence: protocol for a living systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction
Homelessness across the early life course poses a grave and largely preventable challenge. Those who experience homelessness early are at increased risk of a range of health, education and social inequities that can extend across the life course. Better understanding of the modifiable factors on the pathway to homelessness is needed to inform prevention at the earliest possible point in the life course and reduce the rate of child and adolescent homelessness at the population level. Here we address this gap in real-time knowledge by establishing a living systematic review of population studies of social determinants of homelessness from childhood to adolescence.

Methods and analysis
We will search MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed and PsycINFO for population-based prospective cohort studies reporting on social determinants of child and adolescent homelessness from 0 to 24 years. No study eligibility restrictions will be placed on the date, country of origin or language of publications. Study quality will be assessed using the Methodological Standards for Epidemiological Research scale. Associations between social determinants and homelessness will be reported using pooled relative risk ratios with 95% CI. If sufficient data are available, the influence of subgroup and methodological factors will be examined using meta-regression.

Ethics and dissemination
The study will synthesise published studies that have previously been granted ethics approval, meaning that it is exempt from ethics review or approval. Study findings will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed journal article, conference and seminar presentations. The authors will distribute a plain language summary through their academic and professional networks.

PROSPERO registration number
CRD42024577716.

Leggi
Giugno 2025

Healthcare workers perceptions of patient safety culture in emergency departments: a scoping review

Objective
This review aimed to map the concept of patient safety culture in emergency departments (EDs), describe the availability of evidence related to patient safety culture as assessed by healthcare workers, identify the key focus areas of existing studies and pinpoint gaps in the current literature.

Design
A scoping review followed a comprehensive methodological process that included five steps based on the framework developed by Arksey and O’Malley and updated by Peters et al.

Eligibility criteria
Studies encompassing original research and all pertinent published and grey literature within the last 15 years (2010–2024) that aligned with the population (healthcare workers), concept (patient safety culture) and context (emergency department) framework for this study were included.

Data sources
PubMed, CINAHL (EBSCOhost), WOS, Embase, MEDLINE (Ovid), and KISS databases were searched for original studies published between 2010 and 2024 that aligned with the topic of this study.

Data extraction and synthesis
Two researchers independently extracted data from 28 eligible articles using a predetermined data extraction tool. A third researcher reviewed the data to ensure accuracy.

Results
A total of 28 articles were included in the review. The findings indicated an increase in research on patient safety culture in emergency departments since 2021. However, no eligible studies have assessed it within North America. Teamwork within units was the most positively perceived dimension, whereas the reporting of patient safety incidents was the least positively perceived dimension.

Conclusions
Although research on patient safety culture in eergency departments has increased, the findings remain limited in their generalisability due to a lack of diverse methodologies. Qualitative studies are needed to deepen the understanding of patient safety culture in multifaceted contexts. This review contributes to the academic field by bringing us closer to developing tailored interventions that can foster a positive patient safety culture in emergency departments.

Protocol registration
The protocol for this scoping review was registered in the Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/9f7qc).

Leggi
Giugno 2025