From Evidence to Context: Adapting an Evidence-Based Mental Health Intervention (IMR) to Promote Recovery within Cultural and Social Contexts In Latin America

Background and Purpose

The global dissemination of evidence-based practices (EBPs) in mental health highlights the need for cultural and contextual adaptation across diverse settings. Illness Management and Recovery (IMR), developed in the United States, is a recovery-oriented psychosocial intervention designed to support individuals in pursuing meaningful goals while managing the impact of mental health challenges.

IMR integrates psychoeducation, cognitive-behavioral strategies, and skills training to enhance self-management. Its core goals include strengthening individuals’ capacity to define and achieve recovery goals, develop coping strategies, and increase community participation. It is grounded in recovery values such as autonomy, self-determination, and recognition of individuals as experts in their own lives. A substantial body of research supports its effectiveness internationally.

In Latin America, mental health reforms increasingly emphasize community-based care and the rights of people with lived experience, yet implementation remains uneven due to resource limitations and gaps in community services. This study examines the adaptation of IMR into the Active Recovery Program (PAR) and its implementation across Latin American contexts. It aims to explore how an evidence-based intervention is adapted and to identify emerging outcomes at individual, group, and organizational levels.

Methods

This study uses a qualitative, practice-informed design integrating prior IMR research, documented adaptation processes, and systematic reflection on implementation. Data sources include training processes, group facilitation, and ongoing documentation across settings.

The sample includes approximately 45 mental health professionals (social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists) from two training cohorts, and approximately 200 participants with lived experience involved in 21 groups across Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, and Colombia, in hospital and community settings.

Data collection includes field observations, facilitator reflections, and documentation of group processes. Analysis follows an interpretive approach identifying recurring patterns related to cultural adaptation, implementation, and recovery-oriented outcomes.

Results

Findings present preliminary, practice-based insights. At the individual level, participants appear to strengthen agency, hope, and ability to define meaningful goals. At the group level, peer support and experiential knowledge contribute to participation and recovery-oriented dialogue.

At the organizational level, implementation is associated with initial shifts toward more collaborative and person-centered practices, while also revealing barriers. Facilitators include structured manuals, group formats, peer support, and supervision; barriers include stigma, limited resources, and resistance within traditional systems.

Findings highlight the need to adapt not only intervention content but also underlying assumptions regarding knowledge, roles, and relationships.

Conclusions and Implications

These findings suggest that implementing EBPs in new contexts requires ongoing cultural and contextual adaptation beyond technical modification. Integrating experiential knowledge and recovery-oriented values is central to this process.

The study highlights the role of social work in bridging evidence-based models and local realities and promoting inclusive, participatory approaches. Implications include strengthening implementation strategies, addressing structural barriers, and developing future research on outcomes of culturally adapted interventions in Latin America.