A review of cultural competence training in UK mental health settings

Background: Cultural competence is key to high-quality mental health care and is a required competency for professionals. However, there is little to guide practitioners on the content, format, implementation or effectiveness of cultural competence training. Aims: This review aimed to identify the evidence base for cultural competence training in UK mental health settings and to summarise definitions, theoretical models, contents and measures of effectiveness used in such training. Methods: A systematic search and narrative synthesis of the literature on cultural competence training was conducted. Results: A literature search generated seven articles that met the inclusion criteria, which reported five original studies. There were no randomised controlled trials. Only two studies described training that was underpinned by an explicit definition or model of cultural competence. Three studies reported service user involvement. Conclusions: There literature on cultural competence training in mental health settings in the UK is surprisingly limited. There is insufficient evidence on which to base recommendations for clinical practice. Research is required to develop theoretically informed cultural competence training and evaluate its effectiveness