Multicultural Responsiveness with Newcomer Youth: A Counsellors’ Perspective

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Review of manuscript entitled “Multicultural Responsiveness with Newcomer Youth: A Counsellors’ Perspective”

 

This manuscript addresses the efficacy of multicultural responsiveness from the perspective of counsellors working with immigrant youth. It presents research that is of valuable interest to the Journal’s readership and compellingly contribute to the fields of Cross-cultural and Developmental Psychology, also informing effective policy. Yet, there are some flaws that need to be addressed to make this work suitable for publication. I summarise the primary concerns below and have also added in-text comments to help the author(s) revise(s) their work.

 

The results section presents rich qualitative data but would benefit from a clearer thematic organization, a more selective use of quotes – that at times do not seem to reflect the themes analysed, and a stronger integration with existing literature on multicultural competence and all key-themes analysed. As a result, the discussion does not sufficiently build on a solid theoretical framework, or synthesize how the key themes analysed (e.g., awareness, knowledge) relate to one another.

 

Further clarification is needed regarding the sampling strategy and the rationale behind some core definitions (e.g., newcomer youth), demographics, and immigration-related inclusion/exclusion criteria.

 

The study’s implications are meaningful – particularly concerning the need for multilingual counselling and culturally diverse practitioners, but limitations such as the absence of triangulation and lack of transparency about interview prompts must be addressed to strengthen the findings. Given the potential of this research, I also advice considering a broader impact, such as for immigrants in general or other vulnerable groups.

 

I highlight more points of concern and lack of clarity below and in the text.

 

Thank you for the opportunity of revising such insightful research.

 

 

Abstract

The abstract is clearly written, but lacks some crucial information about the methodologies used. It would also benefit from explicitly outlining some relevant implications as well as the general context of the study (e.g., in which country was it conducted? Were the young immigrants from various countries?).

 

Introduction

The section following the abstract – which I assume is the introduction, is well-structured. It effectively delineates the scope of the study, provides accurate contextualisation, and discuss compelling implications.

 

 

Multicultural Counselling Competencies with Counsellors

This section, too, is well-organised and structured. I have made a couple of comments regarding the need for more statistics about immigration in Canada and general demographics, the need for defining “decolonization practices” in relation to counselling, and the need for a better contextualisation for the categories examined within the MCC explored. Elaboration on the sociohistorical background and a more detailed explanation of how these practices are applied in this context would enhance reader comprehension and interpretation of the findings. A more thorough understanding of “decolonization practices” in relation to counselling can also help the reader understand the potential of the implications of this research.

 

 

Rationale for the Current Study

Further clarification is needed regarding the counselling service under examination. For instance, is the service universally accessible? What are the enrolment procedures? Is it possible to request multilingual counselling? These details would provide a clearer picture of the general framework.

The term “multicultural responsive lens” should be explained to clarify how it informs the analytical framework of the study.

 

Methodology

This section exhaustively describes the methodological and analytical procedures. However, a few areas need work.

The sampling technique is not defined; for example, was it limited to snowball sampling through specific counselling networks?

The definition of “newcomers” varies between sections. Initially, it was described as individuals aged 15–30 and later narrowed to 19–24. This change should be explained, along with the rationale for inclusion/exclusion criteria concerning length of residence and immigration context (e.g., were refugees included?)

A table of demographics – especially if some of the counsellors were immigrants themselves, would help.

 

Lastly, I suggest integrating the Rigor section into the Data Analysis section, as the reader may question the procedures in terms of reliability while reading about how data was analysed.

 

 

Results

This section is extensive and attempts to convey a lot of information. A more focused approach may improve clarity. I recommend a general review of how the quotes are selected and assigned, what the core themes are, and whether they all need to be presented in detail.

Streamlining the narrative by focusing on core categories (e.g., awareness, knowledge...) and integrating subthemes into a cohesive discussion, rather than separating them into smaller subsections could be beneficial.

Also, reducing the number of quotes and ensuring each extract clearly supports the corresponding theme is vital. I have flagged instances where quotes do not clearly align with the theme or might better support another one.

It also unclear how the sub-themes emerged and whether the quotes were elicited through specific questions participants answered.

 

Lastly, the manuscript would benefit immensely from the inclusion of some literature on each major theme (i.e., awareness, knowledge...).

 

I suggest:

Benet-Martínez, V., & Haritatos, J. (2005). Bicultural Identity Integration (BII): Components and socio-personality antecedents. Journal of Personality, 73, 1015–1049. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-6494.2005.00337.x

 

Comănaru, R. S., Noels, K., & Dewaele, J. (2018). Bicultural identity orientation of immigrants to Canada. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 39(6), 526–541. doi: 10.1080/01434632.2017.1404069

 

Cook, S. R. (2024). New words, new lives: employing interpretative phenomenological analysis integrated with strategies from ethnography in researching the lived experience of multilingualism and vulnerability in survivors of torture and modern slavery. Language and Intercultural Communication, 24(5), 395–411. https://doi.org/10.1080/14708477.2024.2381090

 

Doucerain, M. M., Medvetskaya, A., Moldoveanu, D., & Ryder, A. G. (2023). Who Are You—Right Now? Cultural Orientations and Language Used as Antecedents of Situational Cultural Identification. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 54(8), 784-807. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220221231193148 (Original work published 2023)

 

Rolland, L., Dewaele, J. M., & Costa, B. (2017). Multilingualism and psychotherapy: exploring multilingual clients’ experiences of language practices in psychotherapy. International Journal of Multilingualism, 14(1), 69–85. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790718.2017.1259009

 

Rolland, L., Costa, B., & Dewaele, J.‐M. (2021). Negotiating the language(s) for psychotherapy talk: A mixed methods study from the perspective of multilingual clients. Counselling & Psychotherapy Research, 21(1), 107–117. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12369

 

 

Discussion

The discussion, despite being underdeveloped, offers some valuable reflections on how these major themes interconnect within the context of MCC.

The primary issue is that the author(s) do(es) not adequately relate(s) their findings to the literature reviewed earlier in the manuscript. In fact, some of the sources cited here have not been mentioned before. The discussion would benefit from examining the aspects that generated more in-depth discussions and related to actionable interventions, as this could potentially lead to higher benefits for immigrant clients.

A more structured synthesis of how the themes (e.g., awareness, knowledge...) interact or differ in salience across participants would help, too. For instance, does “awareness” appear to precede or enable “knowledge”? Are there synergistic effects between categories? These types of insights would enrich the discussion.

In the text I pointed out the sourced that were not referenced or reviewed in the literature. A clearer discussion of each big theme’s theoretical underpinning earlier in the paper would improve the depth and coherence of this section.

 

Implications

This section provides a broad overview of potential implications. I recommend placing greater emphasis on the importance of implementing the cultural diversity of the counselling workforce and the importance of multilingual therapy as tools to facilitate cultural empathy and accessibility. A few of the resources recommended above touch upon these topics.

 

More about policies should be said when presenting of the findings.

 

Lastly, what about implications for immigrants or counselling with other vulnerable groups?

 

 

 

Limitations

If the strengths are very well-outlined, the limitations are insufficiently addressed. A major one is the need for triangulation. It is crucial to assess whether counsellors' perceptions align with clients’ experiences to evaluate the efficacy of the MCC model in practice.

 

Also, it is not clear whether the participants were directly asked about the topics mentioned (e.g., lack of knowledge,...) - if so, this could have also affected the way they responded in assessing the importance of each category considered. I could not see any supplemental material or pre-registration to be able to consult an interview script draft for transparency.

 

 

Conclusion

This section should be more specific about the key findings and implications of the study to better resonate with the audience.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

reviewer	manuscript section	reviewer comments	comment summary	status	notes for reviewers
1	Abstract	The abstract is clearly written, but lacks some crucial information about the methodologies used. It would also benefit from explicitly outlining some relevant implications as well as the general context of the study (e.g., in which country was it conducted? Were the young immigrants from various countries?).	Abstract missing methodology details, context (country, participant origins), and key implications	complete	Note that we don't have participant countries of origin range, but can discuss their selfidentified backgrounds in the participant description section.
1	Introduction	I have made a couple of comments regarding the need for more statistics about immigration in Canada and general demographics.	Add more stats on immigration in Canada and demographics	complete	Created a table of self-described demographics
1	Introduction	Elaboration on the sociohistorical background and a more detailed explanation of how these practices are applied in this context would enhance reader comprehension and interpretation of the findings.	Better contextualize MCC categories; add sociohistorical background	complete	I addressed them together by integrating and summarizing some literture on MCC and its evolution, but didn't go into too much detail as its intended as an overview to situate readers and set up the present study. Also, not sure I can fully synthesize multiculturalism in psychology internationally, but I can make reference to it
1	Methodology	A table of demographics – especially if some of the counsellors were immigrants themselves, would help.	Include demographics table (including counsellors’ own immigrant background if applicable)	complete	Created a table of self-described demographics
1	Methodology	Lastly, I suggest integrating the Rigor section into the Data Analysis section, as the reader may question the procedures in terms of reliability while reading about how data was analysed.	Integrate 'Rigor' section into Data Analysis section	complete
1	Results	This section is extensive... A more focused approach may improve clarity. I recommend a general review of how the quotes are selected and assigned, what the core themes are... Streamlining the narrative by focusing on core categories (e.g., awareness, knowledge...) and integrating subthemes into a cohesive discussion, rather than separating them into smaller subsections could be beneficial. Also, reducing the number of quotes and ensuring each extract clearly supports the corresponding theme is vital.	Results: Streamline, focus on core categories, merge subthemes, reduce quotes, ensure quotes align with themes	complete	Restructured and edited entire section; carefully selected quotes and integrated literature for each category.
1	Results	It is also unclear how the sub-themes emerged and whether the quotes were elicited through specific questions participants answered.	Clarify how subthemes emerged and link quotes to specific interview prompts	complete	Added explanation in Method section
1	Results	Lastly, the manuscript would benefit immensely from the inclusion of some literature on each major theme (i.e., awareness, knowledge...). I suggest: [list of references].	Integrate relevant literature into Results for each theme (some sources provided by reviewer)	complete	Incorporated suggested references where relevant.
1	Discussion	The primary issue is that the author(s) do(es) not adequately relate(s) their findings to the literature reviewed earlier in the manuscript. In fact, some of the sources cited here have not been mentioned before.	Discussion: Link findings back to literature reviewed earlier; remove sources not previously mentioned	complete
1	Discussion	A more structured synthesis of how the themes (e.g., awareness, knowledge...) interact or differ in salience across participants would help, too. For instance, does “awareness” appear to precede or enable “knowledge”? Are there synergistic effects between categories?	Provide structured synthesis of how themes interact (e.g., awareness precedes knowledge)	complete
1	Implications	I recommend placing greater emphasis on the importance of implementing the cultural diversity of the counselling workforce and the importance of multilingual therapy as tools to facilitate cultural empathy and accessibility... More about policies should be said when presenting of the findings.	Expand implications on multilingual therapy, cultural diversity in counselling workforce, and relevant policies	complete
1	Limitations	A major one is the need for triangulation. It is crucial to assess whether counsellors' perceptions align with clients’ experiences... Also, it is not clear whether the participants were directly asked about the topics mentioned... I could not see any supplemental material or pre-registration to be able to consult an interview script draft for transparency.	Limitations: Address lack of triangulation and possible interviewer influence; note missing transparency items	complete	Note that client perceptions were outside of the scope of this study, which focusd on the perspectives of the counsellors who participated. This was added as a limitation and a future direction for research. In terms of supplemental material and interview protocols, add to methods.
1	Conclusion	This section should be more specific about the key findings and implications of the study to better resonate with the audience.	Conclusion: Be more specific about key findings and implications	complete

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Thank you for this fascinating study from a counselor's perspective. To strengthen your paper, it would be helpful to provide more context and background on the concept of multiculturalism. For instance, understanding multiculturalism in counseling is a crucial aspect in many countries. Additionally, offering a stronger argument for the importance and relevance of this topic would further enhance your work.  For instance, in the rationale section, you mention the existence of a gap; however, it leaves me wondering why this gap exists and what additional factors contribute to it.

Newcomer youth is a term in the title - generally speaking : who are they, and what are their unique needs? It would be beneficial to provide a more detailed context to better understand this group, including their backgrounds, challenges, and the specific support they require. By elaborating on these aspects, you can more effectively establish the necessity and relevance of addressing their needs within the scope of your work.

Author Response

reviewer	manuscript section	reviewer comments	comment summary	status	notes for reviewers
2	Introduction	To strengthen your paper, it would be helpful to provide more context and background on the concept of multiculturalism. For instance, understanding multiculturalism in counseling is a crucial aspect in many countries.	Provide more context/background on multiculturalism in counselling (including its importance internationally)	complete	I addressed them together by integrating and summarizing some literture on MCC and its evolution, but didn't go into too much detail as its intended as an overview to situate readers and set up the present study. Also, not sure I can fully synthesize multiculturalism in psychology internationally, but I can make reference to it
2	Introduction	Additionally, offering a stronger argument for the importance and relevance of this topic would further enhance your work	Strengthen argument for importance/relevance of topic	complete
2	Introduction	In the rationale section, you mention the existence of a gap; however, it leaves me wondering why this gap exists and what additional factors contribute to it.	Explain why the identified gap exists and what factors contribute to it	complete
2	Introduction	Newcomer youth is a term in the title - generally speaking: who are they, and what are their unique needs?	Define 'newcomer youth' more clearly	complete
2	Introduction	It would be beneficial to provide a more detailed context to better understand this group, including their backgrounds, challenges, and the specific support they require.	Provide context on newcomer youth backgrounds, challenges, and specific support needs	complete