Culturally sensitive mental health research: a scoping review

Given disparities in healthcare outcomes between ethnocultural groups, there is a need for research to be sensitive to cultural needs and differences to consequently address health inequalities. As part of a project aiming to co-produce a publicly acceptable core mental health dataset (CMHDS) for use in physical health research, evidence was sought as to how this could be made inclusive of a diverse population. The objective was to answer the following questions: What is best practice for culturally sensitive mental health research? How should mental health research be adapted to be culturally sensitive?

A comprehensive literature search was conducted using the following four electronic databases: PsychINFO, EMBASE, CINAHL and Medline as well as a capped Google search (using both the generic search engine and Google Scholar). Articles were screened at the title and abstract level and at full text by two reviewers. Key topics and conclusions from the included papers were tabulated and grouped in order to identify themes.

575 results were identified from the database searches after removing duplicates, which were narrowed down to 95 potential studies after the first round of screening by title and abstract. Full text article review in the second round of screening resulted in a total of 41 included articles for the final analysis. The 100 Google results were all assessed for eligibility with 2 being included. In total, 43 results were identified of relevance and included in the review. Overarching themes identified were as follows: the definition of ethnocultural groups, the impact of language, the influence of research team composition, appropriate research methodologies, and ethical responsibilities of researchers.

The authors conclude that culturally sensitive research requires ongoing commitment to critical analysis, self-reflection, and collaboration from both researchers and institutions. Ethical considerations, including the historical context of racism and colonisation in mental health research, must be acknowledged to build trust and ensure that research outputs are equitable and applicable to diverse populations.