| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Family Social Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN;2. Department of Psychology, Utah State University, Logan, UT;3. Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile;4. Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO;5. University of Manchester, Manchester, UK;6. Department of Psychology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC;7. Department of Psychology, Clark University, Worcester, MA;8. Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI |
| Abstract: | An increasing number of culturally adapted family-level interventions address mental health disparities with marginalized populations in the United States. However, with these developments many barriers have arisen, such as challenges with degree of cultural fit, engagement, and sustainability. We conducted 12 elite phenomenological interviews with mental health scholars involved in prevention and intervention family research with various Latinx communities within and outside of the United States. These scholars discussed their experiences of overcoming barriers in their research. We used thematic analysis to code and analyze participant responses, and our findings support the gaps in previous literature and highlight potential pathways to overcoming barriers in cultural adaptation research. Themes included the need for: (a) better understanding of the intersection between culture and context; (b) community-centered approaches to addressing implementation challenges; and (c) structural changes within institutional, governmental, and political levels. We discuss implications for researchers and practitioners working with Latinx families. |
