Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37701460›Full record

ArticleLancet regional health. Americas2023

Prevalence of depressive disorder in the adult population of Latin America: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Antonia Errazuriz, Dalia Avello-Vega, Juan P Ramirez-Mahaluf, Rafael Torres, Nicolas A Crossley, Eduardo A Undurraga, Peter B Jones

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Lancet regional health. Americas, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
19citing papers in PubMed
9.0field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

19 citing papers in PubMed, 31 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Community violence exposure and mental health in urban Mexico: The moderating role of school belonging in early adolescence and young adulthood.Journal of research on adolescence : the official journal of the Society for Research on Adolescence · 2026
    Article
  3. Female sex: beyond risk prediction in mental health.Lancet regional health. Americas · 2026
    Article
  4. Association of the C-1019G (rs6295) Polymorphism of theDiseases (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
    Article
  5. Observational
  6. Article
  7. Functional Genomics Studies of Psychiatric Disorders in Individuals of Latin American Populations: A Scoping Review.American journal of medical genetics. Part B, Neuropsychiatric genetics : the official publication of the International Society of Psychiatric Genetics · 2026
    Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Human development, inequality, and their associations with brain structure across 29 countries.European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists · 2025
    Article
  12. Article
  13. Review
  14. Article
  15. Clustering the Depression Prevalence in Indonesia Provinces through Natural Breaks Jenks Method.Clinical practice and epidemiology in mental health : CP & EMH · 2025
    Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 4 institutions in 4 countries.

Antonia ErrazurizDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Dalia Avello-VegaRegional Research Institute, School of Social Work, Portland State University, Oregon, United States.
Juan P Ramirez-MahalufDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Rafael TorresDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Nicolas A CrossleyDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Eduardo A UndurragaEscuela de Gobierno, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Peter B JonesDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile · CLCanadian Institute for Advanced Research · CAPortland State University · USUniversity of Cambridge · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Depressive disorder is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide; however its prevalence and association with inequality and crime is poorly characterised in Latin America. This study aimed to: Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of population-based studies reporting primary data on the prevalence of ICD/DSM depressive disorder in Latin America from 1990 to 2023, irrespective of language. We searched PubMed, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, SciELO (regional database), LILAC (regional database), and available grey literature. Study quality was assessed using JBI's critical appraisal tools. We generated pooled estimates using random-effects meta-analysis; heterogeneity was assessed using the Findings: Using data from 40 studies in Latin America, lifetime, 12-month, and current prevalence of ICD/DSM depressive disorder were calculated at 12.58% (95% CI 11.00%-14.16%); 5.30% (4.55-6.06%), and 3.12% (2.22-4.03), respectively. Heterogeneity was high across lifetime, 12-month, and current prevalence, sex, and countries. 12-month and current prevalence was associated with higher Gini and GII, 12-month prevalence with lower HDI, and current prevalence with higher IHR. Interpretation: We found a high prevalence of ICD/DSM depressive disorders in Latin America, and a statistically significant association with inequality and development indicators. The high heterogeneity found across prevalence periods and the major gaps in country representation underscore the need to escalate efforts to improve mental health access and research capabilities in Latin America. Systematic, comparable prevalence estimates would inform more effective decision-making in the region. Funding: Pfizer Independent Medical Education Grant.

Indexed as

DepressionDepressive disorderGlobal mental healthLatin AmericaMeta-analysisPrevalenceSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID37701460
PMCPMC10493603
OpenAlexW4386474727

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.