TY - JOUR

T1 - The Effects of Psychotherapy on Depression Among Racial-Ethnic Minority Groups

T2 - A Metaregression Analysis

AU - Ünlü Ince, Burcin

AU - Riper, Heleen

AU - Van'T Hof, Edith

AU - Cuijpers, Pim

PY - 2014/5/1

Y1 - 2014/5/1

N2 - Objective: Several psychotherapies have been found to be effective in the treatment of depression among adults. However, little is known about whether effectiveness differs by racial-ethnic minority group. The authors conducted a meta-analysis to assess the relative effects of psychotherapy for persons from racial-ethnic minority groups, by examining whether a sample’s racial-ethnic minority proportion was a moderator of the effect size of psychotherapy. Methods: Eligible studies were identified with an existing database of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the psychological treatment of depression among adults. The analysis included all studies in which the effect of psychotherapy for adults with a depressive disorder or symptomatology was compared with a control condition in an RCT. Only studies that reported the overall racial-ethnic minority proportion of the sample or the studies reporting specific racial-ethnic backgrounds of participants were included. A total of 56 RCTs reported the proportion of participants from racial-ethnic minority groups (with 77 comparisons between psychotherapy treatment and control groups). Results: An overall moderate effect size (g = .50) in favor of psychotherapy was found. No significant moderating effect of race-ethnicity was found in bivariate and multivariate analyses. Conclusions: Results suggest that psychotherapy is equally effective regardless of care seekers’ race-ethnicity. Future research should focus on filling in the gap between effective mental health care and the delivery of these services.

AB - Objective: Several psychotherapies have been found to be effective in the treatment of depression among adults. However, little is known about whether effectiveness differs by racial-ethnic minority group. The authors conducted a meta-analysis to assess the relative effects of psychotherapy for persons from racial-ethnic minority groups, by examining whether a sample’s racial-ethnic minority proportion was a moderator of the effect size of psychotherapy. Methods: Eligible studies were identified with an existing database of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the psychological treatment of depression among adults. The analysis included all studies in which the effect of psychotherapy for adults with a depressive disorder or symptomatology was compared with a control condition in an RCT. Only studies that reported the overall racial-ethnic minority proportion of the sample or the studies reporting specific racial-ethnic backgrounds of participants were included. A total of 56 RCTs reported the proportion of participants from racial-ethnic minority groups (with 77 comparisons between psychotherapy treatment and control groups). Results: An overall moderate effect size (g = .50) in favor of psychotherapy was found. No significant moderating effect of race-ethnicity was found in bivariate and multivariate analyses. Conclusions: Results suggest that psychotherapy is equally effective regardless of care seekers’ race-ethnicity. Future research should focus on filling in the gap between effective mental health care and the delivery of these services.

KW - Health sciences

KW - Psychology

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84901953228&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1176/appi.ps.201300165

DO - 10.1176/appi.ps.201300165

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 24535615

VL - 65

SP - 612

EP - 617

JO - Psychiatric Services

JF - Psychiatric Services

SN - 1075-2730

IS - 5

ER -