Prevalence of Psychiatric Symptoms and Mental Health Disorders in the Home Care Population: A Systematic Literature Review.

Purpose: Home care has gained significance in global healthcare systems. However, evidence regarding the prevalence of psychiatric symptoms (PS) and mental health disorders (MHD) within the home care population remains limited. This systematic review aimed to identify the prevalence of PS and MHD in adults receiving home care.

Design: A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines.

Methods: Articles in English, German, and French were searched in PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Scopus. Eligible studies were assessed using the STROBE checklist.

Results: Twenty-seven studies, including a total of 331,715 home care recipients, were included. The prevalence of depression ranged from 7.2% to 61.7%, and anxiety from 1.3% to 59.6%. Other conditions such as cognitive impairment, psychosis, and substance use were seldom reported, with insufficient data for robust prevalence estimates.

Conclusions: Research on PS and MHD in home care populations focuses predominantly on depression and anxiety, leaving significant gaps regarding other conditions. Comparability of findings across studies is limited by inconsistent terminology, assessment instruments, and diagnostic criteria. Persons under 60 years are underrepresented, and recent research is limited. Future studies should use standardized assessment instruments and broaden their scope to more conditions and age groups.

Clinical relevance: Community health nurses should utilize standardized assessment instruments and enhance their competence in identifying and managing PS and MHD. This, combined with interdisciplinary collaboration and integration of current research, is essential for effective early detection and management of MHD in home care settings.