Where is the Global in Global Mental Health? A Call for Inclusive Multicultural Collaboration

The Challenge

Mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety, are a significant global issue, particularly affecting youths in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Factors like poverty, lack of treatment options, and social stigma exacerbate this problem. It's vital to collaborate with local communities to understand and address these challenges efficiently.

The Solution

To avoid imposing Western values and approaches, it's crucial to involve researchers and experts from the LMICs in the design and implementation of mental health interventions. This collaboration ensures culturally valid treatments that acknowledge the local complexities of mental illness experience.

The Study

Our team decided to investigate the extent of multicultural collaboration in mental health intervention research for adolescents in LMICs. We examined a database of 15 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) dealing with various psychological treatments for common adolescent mental health disorders in LMICs.

The Procedure

We evaluated multicultural collaboration by determining the number of first authors and overall authors on the RCT papers affiliated with an institution based in an LMIC. We also considered if the first author’s affiliation was from the same LMIC population as that being studied.

The Results

Our research showed that only a third of the first authors and overall authors were affiliated with an institution based in an LMIC. This finding suggests that the research efforts are primarily driven by researchers based in high-income countries (HICs). Local researchers and experts are not the primary drivers of these research efforts, which may limit the effectiveness of the treatments.

In Conclusion

To develop effective mental health interventions in LMICs, it's crucial to involve local researchers and experts from these regions. Their local sociocultural expertise can help overcome barriers like stigma and improve the acceptability and adoption of treatment interventions. It is not just about collaboration; it's about empowering LMIC researchers and community members to be centrally involved in the research process. This approach will lead to the development of treatments that are socioculturally acceptable and expand access to mental healthcare.

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