Enhancing Mental Health Support for Young Adults Through Conversational AI-Based Screening Tools

Abstract

Health equity has remained a central concern in global health discourse, with persistent
disparities continuing to disproportionately affect marginalized and underserved populations.
Nursing research, grounded in clinical practice and social advocacy, has played a critical role
in identifying, addressing, and reducing these inequities. This review examined the
contributions of nursing research to advancing health equity by synthesizing evidence on
inclusive research practices, community engagement strategies, innovations in data and digital
technologies, and advocacy for underrepresented populations. Guided by established
frameworks, including the Social Determinants of Health and Health Equity Frameworks, the
review highlighted the use of culturally competent methodologies and community-based
participatory approaches as key mechanisms for promoting equitable health outcomes. The
findings demonstrated that nursing research had increasingly centred equity, diversity, and
inclusion, despite ongoing challenges such as structural bias, limited funding, and ethical
complexities. The review concluded that advancing health equity in nursing research required
strengthened policy support, interdisciplinary collaboration, sustained investment in equityfocused
research, and the intentional inclusion of marginalized voices to inform future research
agendas and practice.