When ends justify means, and means justify ends: Utilizing community-based participatory research methods in behavioral health

Behavioral health research is guided by ethical principles that seek to improve the well-being of individuals and communities. Traditional research approaches, however, may fall short when they fail to account for the sociocultural and structural contexts shaping mental health outcomes, particularly for historically underserved populations. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) offers a promising framework for addressing these gaps by fostering equitable academic-community partnerships, co-developing research questions, and emphasizing shared ownership of findings. This commentary presents an overview of CBPR and its associated benefits and challenges, and illustrates the application of CBPR in the Standing Up for Mental Health study, a targeted, cross-age peer mentoring intervention designed to support racially and ethnically minoritized youth. Our experience demonstrates how CBPR enhances cultural responsiveness, ecological validity, and translational potential, aligning research processes with the goal of advancing health equity.