Healing, trust, and care-seeking behavior: A comprehensive review of indigenous and diaspora knowledge in addressing health disparities

Healthcare disparities among immigrant and diaspora populations in the United States remain a persistent public health concern, which is shaped by structural inequities, cultural dynamics, and barriers to healthcare access. While existing research has examined these disparities, little is known about how indigenous knowledge systems, trust, and pluralistic healing practices intersect to influence care-seeking behaviors among diaspora populations. This review addresses this gap by synthesizing evidence on healing, trust, and healthcare engagement among diaspora populations in the United States through a comprehensive thematic review of empirical and review studies. The findings revealed four interconnected themes: (1) structural and systemic barriers as determinants of care-seeking, (2) language, communication, and relational trust, (3) pluralistic healing systems and the role of indigenous knowledge, and (4) sociocultural constructions of health and agency in care. The study concludes that advancing health equity in the United States requires an integrative, culturally responsive, and structurally informed approaches that recognize diverse healing systems, strengthen trust, and address systemic exclusion within the healthcare system.