Trust in Healthcare, Medical Mistrust, and Health Outcomes in Times of Health Crisis: A Narrative Review

Background/Objectives: The concepts of trust and distrust in health systems during health crises are significantly related to public adoption of health behaviors and health outcomes. The aim of this review is to examine trust and mistrust during times of health crisis, such as periods of viral pandemics and epidemics, and how these concepts relate to public health behaviors and, by extension, affect health outcomes. Methods: A focused search was conducted in PubMed and Scopus using a Boolean expression to identify relevant articles written in the English language and published between 2003 and 2023. The research methods comprised content analysis, thematic analysis, and a word cloud visualization to identify frequent themes related to trust and mistrust in healthcare systems. Results: The analysis included 57 studies and revealed that trust in healthcare systems, institutions, and professionals plays a significant role in shaping public health behaviors during health crises. The study also highlighted how mistrust leads to negative health outcomes, such as increased belief in conspiracy theories, vaccine hesitancy, and non-compliance with public health measures. Conclusions: The review emphasizes the importance of building and maintaining trust in healthcare systems to ensure better public health outcomes during crises. It calls for further research to better understand the nuances of trust and mistrust, aiming to inform public health strategies and interventions that could lead to more effective crisis management and improved health outcomes.