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

• Published in: American journal of community psychology Vol. 67; no. 3-4; pp. 312 - 326
• Main Authors: Rodriguez Espinosa, Patricia, Verney, Steven P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Science Ltd 01.06.2021
• Subjects: Action research; Community research; Community-Based Participatory Research; Fairness; Health disparities; Health equity; Health research; Humans; Marginality; Mental health; Multicultural populations; Multiculturalism & pluralism; Participatory research; Psychology; Research Design; Research methodology; Research methods; Research with Black, Indigenous and people of color; Systematic review; United States; Writers; United States; United States > US; Community-based participatory research; Health equity; Systematic review; Research with Black, Indigenous and people of color; Multicultural populations; Research methods
• ISSN: 0091-0562; 1573-2770; 1573-2770
• DOI: 10.1002/ajcp.12469

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. Highlights We examine the field of psychology’s utilization of CBPR and review 1912 CBPR articles. Approximately 16% of manuscripts (n = 311) met our criteria for psychology‐related CBPR articles. Of these, only 21% were published in mainstream psychology journals. Racial/ethnic and marginalized communities account for 85% of all U.S. CBPR‐related study samples. Additional efforts could increase the use of CBPR within the field of psychology.