Global mental health: The role of collaboration during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

There is a strong ethical imperative for international collaborations. Historically, global emergencies have frequently resulted in cultural outsiders, including medical and mental health professionals, responding to disasters in ways that may inadvertently result in more harm than good (Shah, 2011; Watters, 2010; Wessels, 2009). Research is not immune from these issues; other authors have already drawn attention to the possibility that COVID-19 responses may drive exclusionary global health projects (Abimbola et al., 2021). Here, collaborations that prioritize the expertise and perspective of local partners offer an opportunity for clinical and research responses that are culturally responsive and grounded in the local context. Developing meaningful, as opposed to token, reciprocal relationships is utmost priority in order to conduct ethical, acceptable, and sustainable research (e.g., Grillo et al., 2019; Kohrt et al., 2014; Osborn