Resilience Interventions Conducted in Western and Eastern Countries-A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Cross-cultural Psychology
• Mental Health Research

Background:

• Psychological interventions are effective in building resilience.
• The impact of cultural context on resilience intervention efficacy is under-researched.
• Understanding intercultural differences is crucial for optimizing mental health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of resilience interventions across Western and Eastern cultural contexts.
• To identify intervention characteristics that may influence outcomes in different cultures.
• To explore the impact of cultural context on mental health outcomes like resilience, anxiety, and depression.

Main Methods:

• A comparative analysis of 221 studies (175 Western, 46 Eastern) examining resilience interventions.
• Evaluation of intervention aspects: setting, delivery mode, population, theory, duration, and control design.
• Meta-analysis of effect sizes for resilience, anxiety, depression, quality of life, stress, and social support.

Main Results:

• Resilience interventions demonstrated larger effect sizes in Eastern countries (SMD = 0.48) compared to Western countries.
• Interventions in Eastern countries were typically longer and group-based, often targeting family caregivers.
• Significant heterogeneity was observed across studies (I2 = 97.4%).

Conclusions:

• Cultural context plays a significant role in the efficacy of psychological resilience interventions.
• Eastern cultural contexts appear to yield greater improvements in resilience.
• Future research should focus on direct cross-cultural comparisons to understand underlying mechanisms.