Ethnoracial Inclusion in Clinical Trials of Ketamine in the Treatment of Mental Health Disorders
Timothy I. Michaels, Lebert Lester, Sara de la Salle, Monnica T. Williams
Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs July 1, 2022 DOI: 10.15288/jsad.2022.83.596 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Randomized Placebo-controlled Double-blind Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 380 |
| Population | Participants in double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized ketamine clinical trials for mood disorders |
| Topics | Anxiety Esketamine Ketamine |
| Keywords | Ethnic group Mental health Inclusion mineral Mood disorders Clinical trial Demographics Indigenous Randomized controlled trial Clinical psychology Gerontology Demography |
| Citations | 19 |
| Key findings | BIPOC are greatly underrepresented in ketamine clinical trials for mood disorders, with 73.7% of participants being non-Hispanic White. |
Abstract
Objective: Despite strong evidence for the safety and efficacy of ketamine in the treatment of mood disorders, the enrollment of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) has not been a focus of this research. Health disparities in the treatment of mood disorders in BIPOC indicate a strong need to understand the clinical, social, and pharmacological aspects of this novel treatment in people of color.
Method: A comprehensive methodological search for double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized ketamine clinical trials published from 1993 to 2020 was conducted across several databases to analyze the demographics of trial participants. Researchers contacted corresponding authors to obtain additional information.
Results: = 380 participants), 73.7% of the participants were non-Hispanic White, 9.2% were Black, 5.0% were Hispanic/Latinx, and 0.8% were Asian. Higher BIPOC inclusion was negatively correlated with the number of recruitment methods implemented across sites. The present study may underestimate the participation of BIPOC because of the lack of demographic information collected or published.
Conclusions: BIPOC are greatly underrepresented in ketamine clinical trials despite high rates of mood disorders. Reported treatment outcomes may not generalize to all ethnic and cultural groups and significant disparities in access to such novel treatment paradigms exacerbate health disparities.