Background This study used Community Partnered Participatory Research (CPPR) to address low participation of racial and ethnic minorities in medical research and the lack of trust between underrepresented communities and researchers. Methods Using a community and academic partnership in July 2012, residents of a South Los Angeles neighborhood were exposed to research recruitment strategies: referral by word-of-mouth, community agencies, direct marketing, and extant study participants. Results Among 258 community members exposed to recruitment strategies, 79.8% completed the study. Exposed individuals identified their most important method for learning about the study as referral by study participants (39.8%), community agencies (30.6%), word-of-mouth (17.5%), or direct marketing promotion (12.1%). Study completion rates varied by recruitment method: referral by community agencies (88.7%), referral by participants (80.4%), direct marketing promotion (86.2%), word of mouth (64.3%). Conclusions Although African American and Latino communities are often described as difficult to engage in research, we found high levels of research participation and completion when recruitment strategies emerged from the community itself. This suggests recruitment strategies based on CPPR principles represent an important opportunity for addressing health disparities and our high rates of research completion should provide optimism and a road map for next steps.

Our approach demonstrates the feasibility of the use of a replicable model of community and academic engagement that has resulted in products developed through collaborative efforts.

Objective. In the face of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) physical distancing mandates, community-engaged research (CER) faces new vulnerabilities in the equitable inclusion of communities within research partnerships aiming to address these very inequities. Methods. We convened a series of virtual meetings with our CER partnership to discuss the current state of activities and to identify considerations for remote community engagement. We outlined and expanded recommendations through iterative, partnered discussions to inform protections against new CER susceptibilities. Results. Th is article presents CER recommendations in translational COVID-19 research for health equity, including increasing accessibility for remote engagement, promoting opportunities for bi-directional knowledge exchange, committing to a community-centered workforce, and leveraging novel opportunities within community-academic partnerships. Conclusion. Researchers conducting CER face an opportunity to reimagine community engagement remotely for partnered resilience to ensure the voices of the most aff ected are appropriately and inclusively integrated into all aspects of decision-making within the COVID-19 research, practice, and policymaking continuum.

Objective This study examined use of depression care provided by faith-based organizations (FBOs) by African Americans and Hispanics and factors associated with the receipt of such care, including mental illness severity and use of traditional mental health services. Methods The study used baseline data from the Community Partners in Care study, a group-randomized trial comparing a community-partnered approach with a technical-assistance approach to improving depression care in underresourced communities in Los Angeles. A sample of 947 individuals (48% African American, 27% non–U.S.-born Hispanic, 15% U.S.-born Hispanic, and 10% non-Hispanic white) were surveyed about recent visits to a religious or spiritual place and receipt of FBO depression care. Descriptive analyses compared racial-ethnic, sociodemographic, and health service use variables for three groups: those who did not attend a religious place, those who attended a religious place and did not receive FBO depression services, and those who received FBO depression services. Multinomial logistic regression was used to identify predictors of receipt of FBO depression care. Results A larger proportion of African Americans and non–U.S.-born Hispanics received FBO faith-based depression services compared with non-Hispanic whites and with U.S.-born Hispanics. Receipt of FBO depression services was associated with younger age, lifetime diagnosis of mania, use of primary care depression services, and receipt of a mental health service from a substance abuse agency. Conclusions FBO depression services were used in the community, especially by persons from racial-ethnic minority groups. Collaborative efforts between FBOs and traditional health services may increase access to depression services for African Americans and Latinos.

OBJECTIVE For implementing quality improvement programs for depression in underserved communities, a multi-sector coalition approach (Community-Engagement and Planning, CEP) was more effective than program technical assistance (Resources for Services, RS) in improving mental health-related quality of life (MHRQL), reducing behavioral health hospitalizations and shifting services toward community-based programs at 6-months. At 12-months there was continued evidence of improvement. This study objective was to evaluate for continued evidence of improvement at 3-years. METHOD Three-year extension study for Community Partners in Care (CPIC), a community-partnered cluster-randomized trial with 93 Los Angeles health and community programs assigned to CEP or RS having 1004 enrolled depressed clients eligible for 3-year follow-up and 600 completing surveys from 89 programs. Multiple regression analyses with multiple imputation controlling for baseline status and covariates are used to estimate intervention effects on poor MHRQL and depression; physical health-related quality of life (PHRQL) and behavioral health hospital nights; and healthcare, community program and medication use. RESULTS CEP versus RS did not affect 3-year depression or MHRQL but had modest effects on improving PHRQL and reducing behavioral health hospital nights; and increased having any social-community sector visit for depression and use of mood stabilizers. Sensitivity analyses with longitudinal modeling reproduced findings, but for differences between intervention groups in change from baseline to 3-years, effects were not significant. CONCLUSIONS At 3-years, CEP versus RS did not affect primary mental health outcomes but had modest effects on improving PHRQL and reducing behavioral hospital nights.