Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41590012›Full record

ReviewEuropean journal of investigation in health, psychology and education2025

Neuroscientific Framework of Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions for Mental Health Across Diverse Cultural Populations: A Systematic Review of Effectiveness, Delivery Methods, and Engagement.

Evgenia Gkintoni, Georgios Nikolaou

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Neural Threat Processing in Individuals with Small-Animal Phobia Is Shaped by Cluster C Personality Traits.European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Evgenia GkintoniDepartment of Psychiatry, University General Hospital of Patras, 265 04 Patras, Greece.ORCID 0000-0002-3197-2019
Georgios NikolaouDepartment of Educational Sciences and Social Work, University of Patras, 265 04 Patras, Greece.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

(1) Background: Mental health disparities persist across culturally diverse populations despite robust cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) efficacy evidence. Cultural neuroscience suggests that neurobiological processes underlying therapeutic mechanisms may exhibit culturally variable patterns, yet integration of neuroscientific frameworks into culturally adapted interventions remains limited. (2) Methods: Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we systematically searched PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science (January 2014-December 2024) for peer-reviewed studies examining CBT interventions targeting depression, anxiety, PTSD, or psychological distress in culturally diverse populations. Ninety-four studies were synthesized using narrative methods; methodological heterogeneity precluded meta-analytic pooling. (3) Results: Culturally adapted CBT interventions consistently demonstrated superior outcomes compared to standard protocols across diverse populations. Group formats showed exceptional retention in collectivistic cultures, while hybrid technology-enhanced models achieved strong completion rates across contexts. Cultural adaptation enhanced engagement (e.g., 84% vs. 52% retention in refugee populations) and maintenance of treatment gains. Individual studies reported effect sizes ranging from d = 0.29 to d = 2.4; substantial within-group variability was observed, and identified patterns likely reflect learned cultural adaptations rather than inherent biological differences. Direct neuroimaging evidence within included studies remained limited (13.8%). (4) Conclusions: The evidence supports culturally adapted interventions as essential for equitable mental health outcomes. Cultural experiences may influence therapeutic processes, suggesting potential benefit from considering culturally variable processing patterns alongside universal mechanisms. However, conclusions regarding specific neural pathways remain preliminary, and individual assessment remains paramount, with cultural background representing one factor among many in treatment planning.

Indexed as

cognitive–behavioral interventionscultural adaptationcultural neurosciencediverse populationsmental health disparitiesneuroplasticityneuroscientific frameworkprecision medicinetreatment engagement

Identifiers

PMID41590012
PMCPMC12839909

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.