To determine the preliminary feasibility, acceptability, and effects of the “Meaning-in-Life Counseling Program,” a cultural adaptation of meaning-centered psychotherapy for Chinese immigrants with advanced cancer (MCP-Ch).

Mandarin-speaking stage III/IV cancer patients were enrolled in 2 pilot trials of MCP-Ch, a manualized, one-on-one intervention that used psychoeducation, experiential exercises, and structured discussion to explore themes related to meaning, identity, and purpose. Participants completed 6 weekly sessions in Mandarin Chinese with a bilingual interventionist, 45–60 minutes in length, via videoconferencing or phone. Participants were administered measures of spiritual well-being, quality of life (QOL), depression, anxiety, hopelessness, and meaning-in-life pre-intervention (T1) and 1-month post-intervention (T2) and were additionally administered an exit survey at T2. Descriptive data from participants who initiated MCP-Ch sessions (n = 31) were pooled.

In total, 31 of 42 participants across the 2 trials started the MCP-Ch intervention, and 28 completed all 6 sessions. Results showed small to moderate postintervention improvements in spiritual well-being, QOL, anxiety, and depression. Participants provided positive feedback about MCP-Ch (89% expressed satisfaction with the intervention). A majority (50–86%) suggested additional components (i.e., cancer health education, Chinese-language peer support) to increase the intervention’s relevance and acceptability.

Overall, preliminary data suggest that this 6-session, manualized intervention is associated with improvements in psychological functioning. However, feedback from stakeholders suggests additional components could enhance the intervention’s relevance. Future research should examine MCP-Ch with these additional components.

To culturally adapt and validate the Spanish version of the Subjective End-of-Life Health Literacy Scale (S-EOL-HLS) through community-based workshops in Argentina.

The S-EOL-HLS was translated following the forward–backward method and iteratively refined through community workshops conducted in urban and rural settings. Initial testing took place in 5 workshops (n = 57), followed by face validity assessment by an expert panel (n = 11). Based on this feedback, additional workshops were conducted alongside cognitive interviews, and a subset of participants completed a test–retest assessment. Participants completed the adapted scale and a brief sociodemographic questionnaire. Psychometric evaluation was performed using exploratory factor analysis on the initial sample and confirmatory factor analysis on a second sample (n = 120), together with assessments of internal consistency and construct validity.

The analyses supported a 3-factor structure representing functional, interactive, and critical dimensions of end-of-life health literacy. Factor loadings ranged from 0.57 to 0.91, with items loading primarily on their intended domains. The model demonstrated acceptable fit and high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.89). Qualitative feedback from participants and experts improved the clarity and contextual relevance of the Spanish version. While most participants reported ease in understanding technical end-of-life terminology, greater uncertainty was observed for interactive and decision-making items, indicating challenges in applying information to personal treatment choices.

The Spanish S-EOL-HLS demonstrated evidence of content validity, construct validity, and good psychometric performance in an Argentine context. Beyond its measurement properties, the scale also served as a structured prompt for reflection and dialogue in community settings.

Large-scale pain studies risk reduced generalizability when participants do not reflect the linguistic and cultural representation of populations disproportionately affected by chronic pain. Cultural and linguistic adaptations can improve recruitment and retention of non‑English‑speaking participants, yet implementation remains inconsistent and under‑documented. This study aimed to characterize real‑world strategies, barriers, and facilitators encountered by clinical research teams implementing cultural and linguistic adaptations and to develop practical guidance for future studies.

A survey was distributed to 36 NIH‑HEAL–funded studies with evidence of recruiting of non‑English recruitment. Respondents (principal investigators, coordinators, and study staff) reported on cultural and linguistic adaptation methods, resources, experiences, and outcomes. Quantitative items were summarized descriptively, and open‑text responses were analyzed using an iterative descriptive qualitative approach integrating thematic and quantitative findings.

Eighteen surveys were completed and included in the analysis. Three recommendation-based orientations emerged, full, conditional, and reserved endorsement, aligning with differences in motivations, timing, resource allocation, and demographic recruitment success. Common barriers included regulatory delays, translation and database integration costs, and difficulty or shortages of hiring bilingual staff. Key facilitators included embedded linguistic and cultural expertise, alignment between recruitment sites and local demographics, and early, sustained community engagement.

Implementing cultural and linguistic adaptations is feasible but resource‑intensive. Early planning, adequate budgeting, bilingual staffing, strategic site selection, and stakeholder engagement are central to successful recruitment of non‑English‑speaking participants. These findings offer guidance to enhance equity, generalizability, and efficiency in pain‑focused clinical research.

The HOPE spiritual assessment tool (HOPE tool), developed by Anandarajah and Hight, is a clinician-administered tool used to support the identification of patients’ existential, spiritual, and religious concerns. In Sweden, a foundational translation exists, but a culturally adapted version suited to a secular and multicultural context is lacking. This study aimed to develop a culturally adapted Swedish version (HOPE-SE) and assess its comprehensibility (face validity) and perceived relevance and coverage (content validity) among specialized palliative care professionals.

Building on an earlier Swedish translation of the original 18-item HOPE, we conducted an observational cross-sectional development and expert evaluation study, in accordance with the STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) guidelines, to simplify wording, improve item focus, streamline flow, and add prompts addressing non-religious existential concerns, resulting in a 16-item draft (HOPE-SE). Expert evaluation was conducted by 18 interdisciplinary experts in specialized palliative care (nurses, n = 6; physicians, n = 9; social workers, n = 3) who provided structured written feedback and participated in cognitive debriefing interviews. The written evaluation was summarized descriptively. The interviews were analyzed using descriptive content analysis of transcripts of the digitally recorded interviews.

Experts generally perceived HOPE-SE as understandable, acceptable, and clinically useful for initiating conversations about existential, spiritual, and religious concerns. Feedback led to minor wording refinements, clarification of potentially sensitive formulations, and the addition of a brief consent-based introduction to support timing and patient autonomy. The final HOPE-SE was approved by all experts and by the original HOPE author.

HOPE-SE provides the first expert-reviewed Swedish conversation guide addressing existential, spiritual, and religious needs, intended to support spiritual history-taking in a multicultural healthcare context. Patient studies are needed to evaluate content validity and implementation in Swedish settings.

Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) is a debilitating condition recently recognized to psychiatric diagnostic manuals. There is a pressing need for valid, reliable, and culturally adapted instruments that align with internationally established diagnostic criteria for the diagnosis of pathological grief, particularly for Latinx populations, who often face limited access to timely mental health services. This study aimed to translate, adapt, and validate the Mexican version of the PG-13-R scale.

We translated and then back-translated the original PG-13-R. The scale was reviewed by experts in psychometrics and cognitively debriefed with a Mexican sample. The study included 397 participants, consisting of: (1) Family members of patients who died from cancer and received supportive care from a patient navigation program at a public hospital in Mexico City (CDMX) and (2) Individuals from the broader community who were contacted via social media (X, Facebook). Participants completed an online survey that included sociodemographic data, the preliminary version of the PG-13-R, an assessment of depression (PHQ-9) and of anxiety (GAD-7). Internal consistency was analyzed using Cronbach’s alpha. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to examine evidence of validity, along with a Pearson correlation analysis between PG-13-R scores and existing measures assessing related but distinct constructs (i.e., depression and anxiety).

CFA supported a 1-factor structure with good model fit after accounting for error covariance between related items. The Mexican PG-13-R demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.89) and positive significant correlations with measures of depression and anxiety, providing evidence of score reliability and validity.

The adapted PG-13-R offers a culturally appropriate tool for assessing prolonged grief in Mexican Spanish-speaking populations, with potential for use in clinical and research settings. The use of the PG-13-R scale is recommended for clinical research and mental health care in the Mexican population.

Conflict-affected Palestinian communities experience profound mental health challenges. This systematic review assesses the evidence for mental health interventions in these contexts, focusing on the theoretical alignment of narrative therapy with cultural assets like sumud (steadfastness) and hikaye (storytelling).

Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched nine databases and grey literature up to December 2023. We included studies on mental health interventions for conflictaffected Palestinians, with a primary focus on narrative therapy and a secondary analysis of other approaches.

Of 847 records screened for narrative therapy, no studies met the inclusion criteria. A broader search identified 23 intervention studies, revealing a predominant focus on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT; n = 11) and Narrative Exposure Therapy (n = 4), with limited therapeutic diversity. Analysis showed insufficient Palestinian researcher leadership and superficial cultural adaptation of interventions.

This review reveals a dual gap: a complete absence of narrative therapy research despite its theoretical relevance, and a broader pattern of limited intervention diversity. The predominance of Western-centric models reflects systemic biases in research funding. Addressing this requires community-led participatory research, shifts in funding priorities, and investment in culturally-grounded methodologies.

To characterize the dietary patterns of Marshallese mothers of young children in Northwest Arkansas, informing the cultural adaptation of nutrition education curricula.

An exploratory cross-sectional study was conducted, in which Marshallese women with children under 12 months completed 3 telephone-administered 24-hour dietary recalls with a trained bilingual Marshallese interviewer. Diet quality was characterized using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2020. A food-level analysis identified top food groupings contributing to total energy and HEI-2020 components.

Northwest Arkansas.

Marshallese mothers with children < 12 months.

29 women were recruited, 20 completed 2 or 3 dietary recalls. Median age was 25·5 years. Diet quality by HEI-2020 was 46·4 (max score 100). White rice was the top contributor to total energy; high seafood/plant protein and fatty acid diet quality component scores were influenced by high fish intakes.

Diet quality was low. Key adaptations include reducing rice portion sizes, while emphasizing lean proteins and fruits/vegetables. Cultural adaptation of nutrition education is essential to improve diet quality among communities with varying dietary practices.

Post-stroke neurocognitive disorders are highly prevalent, yet screening tools that are fit for culturally diverse populations are scarce. This study evaluates the impact of cultural differences on the Oxford Cognitive Screen (OCS), a stroke-specific screening tool.

To evaluate cultural differences, we compared two populations with varying degrees of cultural diversity and Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic (WEIRD) characteristics. We adapted the Dutch OCS for Suriname through a multi-stage process. Using Bayesian hierarchical regression analysis, we compared 264 Surinamese participants, assessed with the adapted Dutch OCS, with 247 Belgian participants, assessed with the Dutch OCS, while controlling for age and education. We further investigated whether the associations of age and education with performance were comparable between the two populations.

Our findings revealed minimal differences in OCS performance between the Belgian and Surinamese populations. Both populations showed similar age-related decline and education-related improvement across all subtests, except for Picture naming, where the age-related decline was more pronounced in the Belgian population.

These findings suggest that with minimal adaptation, the OCS is a viable tool for screening post-stroke neurocognitive disorders in culturally diverse populations.

Bipolar disorders are a major cause of disability worldwide, with most of the disease burden attributed to those in low- and middle-income countries, including Nigeria. There is limited evidence on culturally appropriate interventions for bipolar disorders in Nigeria.

The study aims to examine the feasibility, and acceptability of culturally adapted psychoeducation (CaPE) for treating bipolar disorders.

A randomised controlled trial (RCT) compared CaPE plus treatment as usual (TAU) with TAU alone among 34 persons with bipolar disorders in Jos, Nigeria. CaPE comprised 12 group sessions of in-person psychoeducation lasting approximately 90 min each, delivered on a weekly basis by clinical researchers supervised by clinical psychologists and consultant psychiatrists. The primary outcome was feasibility, measured by participants’ recruitment and retention rates. Other outcomes included acceptability as measured by the Service Satisfaction Scale (SSS), Brief Bipolar Disorder Symptom Scale (BBDSS), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Quality-of-Life scale (EQ5D). Outcomes were assessed at baseline and weeks 12 and 24. Focus group (n = 10) and individual interviews (n = 5) were conducted with the CaPE + TAU group, recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.

The CaPE+TAU group (n = 17) recorded a high participant recruitment and retention rate of 86% across 12 sessions, and also recorded a higher level of satisfaction with SSS compared with the TAU alone group; 87.5% indicated very satisfied compared with 66.7% indicated not sure in the TAU group. In terms of clinical outcomes, for PHQ-9 scores the intervention group showed a reduction from baseline to end of intervention (EOI) and follow-up, with differences of −12.01 and −7.39, respectively (both P < 0.001). The EQ5D index showed a notable improvement in the intervention group at both EOI and follow-up (P < 0.001). Lastly, BBDS scores decreased significantly in the CaPE+TAU group at both EOI and follow-up, with differences of −21.45 and −15.76 (both P < 0.001).

The RCT of CaPE is a feasible, acceptable and culturally appropriate treatment option for bipolar disorders in Nigeria. Further adequately powered RCTs evaluating the intervention’s clinical and cost-effectiveness are warranted.

Women from minoritised ethnic communities experience inequalities in access, experience and outcomes of psychological therapy. Understanding the factors associated with these inequalities could inform improvements to mental health services.

To explore therapists’ experiences of providing treatment to women from minoritised ethnic communities, including insights on adaptations made at the delivery, content and wider organisation levels, and to gather suggestions about potential treatment improvements.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 therapists working in two National Health Service Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression services and who had experience of treating women from minoritised ethnic communities. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.

Three high-order themes were identified: incorporating ethnicity and culture in the delivery of psychological therapies, challenges associated with delivering therapeutic interventions to women from minoritised ethnic groups and improvements to services that could support better access, engagement and outcomes for women from minoritised ethnic groups.

Findings indicate that therapists viewed cultural adaptation and cultural sensitivity as important to the delivery of appropriate care for minoritised ethnic women. Challenges to appropriate care included limited service resources, communication and language barriers, stigma and existing access and engagement inequalities. Therapists suggested that, to deliver high-quality care and optimise outcomes, improvements are required in cultural sensitivity training, flexibility of service delivery, outreach work with communities to encourage uptake and reduce stigma, support for staff and workforce diversity.