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The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry

Systematic Review Focus on Psychotherapy November 11, 2026

A Systematic Review of Randomized Clinical Trials Evaluating Adapted Psychological Interventions for Depression in Black and Latino Populations in the United States

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J Clin Psychiatry 2026;87(4):26r16309

Abstract

Objective: Major depressive disorder impacts all racial and ethnic groups globally, with Black and Latino populations being particularly susceptible to persistent depressive episodes. This systematic review synthesizes and critically appraises the empirical evidence on the effectiveness of adapted psychological interventions specifically for these populations.

Data Sources: We conducted a systematic search of Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov using terms related to Blacks, Latinos, and mental health, limited to English-language articles published from the inception of each database through July 2025.

Study Selection: Studies included randomized controlled trials evaluating psychological interventions for depression adapted to Black and Latino populations.

Data Extraction: Extracted data included study and intervention characteristics.

Results: Seventy-three full-text articles were reviewed, of which 9 were included: Seven studies focused on Latinos, while the remaining involved Blacks in the US. All interventions in the studies were culturally adapted to Black or Latino populations, with 6 interventions combining cultural and collaborative care adaptations. Language translation and cultural tailoring of interventions were the most common adaptations, followed by racial concordance between interventionists and patients. Meta-analysis showed that the interventions significantly reduced depression symptoms at both 1–3 months (standardized mean difference [SMD]=-0.28, P=.02) and 4–6 months (SMD=-0.33, P<.00001). Subgroup analyses showed no statistically significant differences in depression outcomes between delivery formats, nature of intervention adaptations, or the number of psychotherapy components.

Conclusion: While the review findings support the use of culturally adapted interventions for Black and Latino populations, the limited evidence base restricts our ability to identify which intervention characteristics contribute most to clinical effectiveness.

J Clin Psychiatry 2026;87(4):26r16309

Author affiliations are listed at the end of this article.

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