Processes for culturally adapting behavioral health interventions for people with refugee backgrounds: A scoping review

Abstract

Academic literature supports cultural adaptation (CA) of evidence‐informed interventions to increase accessibility and effectiveness of behavioral health treatment to meet the needs of a culturally diverse society. While several meta‐analyses have shown positive outcomes of CA mental health interventions, there is a need for more information about how theoretical CA models have been applied in practice to meet the cultural and contextual needs of specific groups. This scoping review was conducted to understand how CA models have been applied to adapt evidence‐informed behavioral health interventions for people with refugee backgrounds in resettlement. Eighteen manuscripts were identified and analyzed, resulting in five categories: Reasons for Engaging in CA, Processes of CA, Types of CAs, Resources Needed to Support CA, and Evaluating Adaptation Choices. Only four studies utilized any existing model to guide their adaptation efforts, three of which used CA models. Level of detail regarding CA processes and justification for choices varied considerably among articles. Significant gaps were identified, posing challenges for replication. Although articles reported that adapted interventions were effective, it is unclear which, if any, CA choices contributed to the successful outcomes. Findings indicate a need for emphasis on clear and thorough documentation of CA processes and more rigorous assessment of the impact of adaptation choices.

Highlights

• While cultural adaptation (CA) is supported by literature, processes of CA are not well‐documented.

• Research is needed on the actual impact of specific adaptation choices.

• Actual adaptation processes vary greatly in depth and are not well‐documented in existing literature