A Content Analysis of Cultural Mistrust Among African Americans in Therapy Settings

A 35-year (1984–2019) content analysis was conducted of scholarship focused on examining the impact of cultural mistrust on African Americans’ willingness to engage and utilize mental health services. Twenty-five articles were systematically evaluated from several academic journals and databases. Articles were coded and analyzed to focus on cultural mistrust by demographics (e.g., gender, age, and socioeconomic status), valence of the discourse, impact, methodology, and outcomes. Findings included but were not limited to (a) cultural mistrust being primarily discussed as positive; (b) scarce representation of qualitative and mixed methods approaches; and (c) the lack of studies which incorporated socioeconomic status. Future research should investigate how cultural mistrust operates at the intersections of race, gender, class, and other social identities.