Cultural competency training for psychiatry residents and mental health professionals: A systematic review

Abstract

Introduction: Cultural competence is a prerequisite skill for a psychiatrist. There is a dearth of information on the methods used for training of cultural competence and their outcomes. This study aims to explore and determine the existing methods used for cultural competency training (CCT) for psychiatry residents and how useful these training methods are. Method: A systematic review methodology based on PRISMA guidelines was adopted for this study. The literature search reviewed databases of PubMed and MesH, using keywords ‘psychiatry resident’, ‘psychiatry’, ‘psychiatrist’, ‘mental health’, and ‘mental health professional’. In the end,14 articles qualified for the detailed review. The level of evidence and quality of the studies were evaluated and recorded. Results: The methods of cultural competence training identified were grouped as, active/passive/mixed; group training/individual training. These included documentaries or non-feature films based teaching, secondary consultation and cross consultation models, case vignette discussions, Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), behavioral simulation, video demonstration, cultural discussion in rounds, and traditional clinical teaching. The studies covered participants from different cultural backgrounds, mainly urban and predominantly university/institution based. Conclusion: There is limited literature in the area to conclude one method to be better than the other with respect to CCT in psychiatry residents. However, this review identified a variety of training methods, which can be used and pave way for research on their effectiveness. Training and evaluation of psychiatry residents in the area of cultural competence should be done routinely during their training to enable them to practice in the multi ethic societies.

Effectiveness of Internet-Based Training on Psychotherapists’ Transcultural Competence: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…In view of the lack of previous studies in this field (for a review, see Bhui et al, 2007), our pilot RCT provides important information. The sample, which represented psychiatrists and psychotherapists from diverse competence fields, was comparably large and, unlike many other studies, was randomly assigned and blinded to minimize bias (e.g., Venkataramu et al, 2021). We opted for a superiority design that employed theoretical, non-guided training as the active control condition.…”

“…Research on transcultural competence training to enhance transcultural competence for psychotherapists is sparse (for a review, see Satinsky et al, 2019), although there are defined quality criteria for such programs (Benuto et al, 2018; Mösko et al, 2012). Existing trainings have rarely been evaluated with a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design with follow-up assessment (for reviews, see Benuto et al, 2018; Venkataramu et al, 2021), present vague descriptions of study and curricular content (for reviews, see Benuto et al, 2018; Bhui et al, 2007), and lack evidence of their effectiveness (Benuto et al, 2018; Venkataramu et al, 2021).…”

Cultural competence of mental health practitioners in the Netherlands

“…Widely, there is no consensus on what the preferred model for teaching cultural competence is. A review of Venkataramu et al (2021) described the various methods used for cultural competence training and distinguished the following groups: active/passive/mixed, and group training/individual training. These methods include documentaries or non-feature film teaching, secondary and cross consultation models, case vignette discussions, Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), behavioural simulation, video demonstration, cultural discussion in rounds and traditional clinical teaching (Venkataramu et al, 2021).…”

Sociocultural Framework for Psychiatric Case Formulation

“…The OCF consisted of four topical domains and a fifth for synthesis and practical implications. It has been used for published cultural formulation case reports and clinical vignettes for residency training program curricula in cultural psychiatry in North America and globally (Lewis-Fernández et al, 2014; Mezzatesta Gava et al, 2022; Venkataramu et al, 2021). The OCF was the required framework for many published case studies, including a series of case reports as cultural formulations in the journal Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry (Lewis-Fernández, 1996).…”