This is a look into how therapy can be adapted to fit different cultures. Imagine a doctor in the USA treating a patient from Japan. If the doctor knows something about Japanese culture, the treatment could be more successful! Two major studies were conducted to understand this.

• Sample: 76 studies, 25,000 participants.
• Adapting Therapy: They looked at things like telling stories about cultural heroes to kids or getting advice from people who knew the patient's culture.
• Result: Adaptation helps! On average, these methods were effective (0.45 effect size).
• Mixed-Race vs Same-Race Groups: It's like playing a game with friends versus strangers. With friends (same-race groups), the score was higher (0.49 vs 0.14 effect size).
• Language Matters: If you speak to someone in their native language, it's more comfortable and effective (0.49 vs 0.21 effect size).
• Older vs Younger People: It seems grandma and grandpa respond better, perhaps because they're more rooted in their culture.
• No Cheating: They made sure that studies weren't just showing the good results, so no funny business here!

• Different Approach: 16 studies, looking only for the specific things that were changed in therapy to make it fit the culture.
• What Worked?
  • Values Matter: Things like respect, family closeness, and being polite. For example, Latino culture emphasizes "respeto," "familismo," and "simpatia."
  • Cultural Sensitivity: Think of it like wearing a favorite soccer team's jersey in a fan's home. Adhering to these cultural values made therapy more effective with Hispanic patients.
  • Understanding the Illness: Knowing that depression isn't something weird or taboo helped in treating it.