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. 2021 Jun;67(3-4):312-326.
doi: 10.1002/ajcp.12469. Epub 2020 Nov 9.

The Underutilization of Community-based Participatory Research in Psychology: A Systematic Review

Patricia Rodriguez Espinosa  1   2   3 , Steven P Verney  2   4
Affiliations

The Underutilization of Community-based Participatory Research in Psychology: A Systematic Review

Patricia Rodriguez Espinosa et al. Am J Community Psychol. 2021 Jun.

Abstract

Traditional non-participatory research methodologies have struggled to address the needs of multicultural populations in the United States (U.S.). Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is a research paradigm offering a unique opportunity for culturally appropriate research and improving health equity. CBPR is an equitable, strength-based approach involving all stakeholders throughout the research process. We investigate the field of psychology's utilization of CBPR as an approach for working with multicultural populations to collaboratively address relevant and impactful research questions. A total of 1912 CBPR-related articles, from 2004 to 2014, were identified using PsycINFO, PubMed, and CINAHL Complete databases. Of these, approximately 16% (n = 311) met our criteria for psychology-related CBPR articles accounting for a negligible amount (<1%) of peer-reviewed publications in mainstream psychological journals during the same time period. Among U.S. psychology-related CBPR articles, 86% focused on multicultural and marginalized populations. Prominent topics of investigation included physical health, mental and behavioral health, and theoretical or methodological articles. Features of publications, including authors' training, types of journals, study populations, and topics under investigation, were explored for all 1912 publications. Findings highlight an opportunity for further utilization of CBPR within psychology, with key implications for health equity. Recommendations for increasing CBPR uptake within the discipline are also offered.

Keywords: Community-based participatory research; Health equity; Multicultural populations; Research methods; Research with Black, Indigenous and people of color; Systematic review.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests to disclose.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
General description of studies identified, and inclusion criteria
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Journal classification for overall CBPR-related and psychology-related CBPR articles. Note. Left panel (N = 1912 articles) represents the overall CBPR-related literature. Other category includes journals such as ethics journals, environmental, nutritional, and exercise sciences. Right panel (n = 311) represents the psychology-related CBPR articles. Due to small size, the Other category also includes social work and social sciences journals
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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