Scaling Out Evidence-Based Interventions Outside the U.S. Mainland: Social Justice or Trojan Horse?

Global health disparities continue to widen as professional standards for effectiveness of mental health services provision become more precise and difficult to achieve across varied economic and social contexts. Within the United States, health disparities are evident in Latinx populations. Globally, the health disparities are also evident in Latin America compared to the United States and other economically affluent nations. The diversification of psychology in content and persons has led to a unique opportunity to build bridges that can help reduce disparities in- and outside of the U.S. mainland. Collaborations can be of great use in addressing health disparities internationally and also are of critical importance in testing the ecological validity of existing interventions. It is imperative that researchers approach these exchanges as truly collaborative and power-even, because researchers in all locations stand to learn and grow from the partnership; otherwise U.S.-based researchers can unwittingly engage in intellectual colonization and advance cultural imperialism. U.S.-based researchers must be particularly thoughtful about disparities in both resources and consequences for success and failure in research contexts. We discuss specific failures, recoveries, and successes that may be useful to other researchers engaged in, or seeking to engage in, international collaborations. Public Significance Statement The authors caution researchers to examine their methods carefully when transporting evidence-based interventions across international boundaries. There is a great need to address mental health treatments globally, yet U.S.-based interventions may not be appropriate, and their implementation could possibly do more harm than good. Las disparidades de salud globales continúan incrementado a medida que los estándares profesionales para determinar la efectivdads de los servicios de salud mental se tornan más precisos y difíciles de lograr en contextos económicos y sociales variados. Dentro de los Estados Unidos, las disparidades de salud son evidentes en las poblaciones Latinxs. A nivel mundial, las disparidades de salud también son evidentes en América Latina en comparación con los Estados Unidos y otras naciones económicamente ricas. La diversificación de la psicología en contenido y personas ha llevado a una oportunidad única para construir puentes que pueden ayudar a reducir las disparidades dentro y fuera de los Estados Unidos continentales. Las