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Global Health Econ Sustain Interventional psychiatry: Disparities and solutions

intensity for these participants during rTMS treatment. Conflict of interest
One study showed that there might be ethnic differences
in response to deep TMS treatment, as they found a The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
greater clinical decrease in Quick Inventory of Depressive Author contributions
Symptomatology-16 scores among South Asians compared
to their White counterparts (Sheth et al., 2022). As Conceptualization: Deepinder Nagra, Greg Appelbaum
discussed earlier, given the significant racial disparity in Writing – original draft: All authors
participation observed in emerging psychedelic trials and Writing – review & editing: All authors
the identification of ethnic differences in outcomes, it is Ethics approval and consent to participate
crucial for researchers to prioritize diverse representation
in clinical trials. This ensures that results are not Not applicable.
generalized to a broader population without considering a
more diverse and inclusive participant base. Consent for publication
Recent initiatives by the NIH require clinical Not applicable.
researchers to report their racial and ethnic demographics Availability of data
to promote diversity and inclusion; however, no such
requirements exist for basic scientific research (Goldfarb & Not applicable.
Brown, 2022). Biomarker studies often rely on convenience
samples consisting of university students and staff as the References
primary population of their research. However, since AAMC. (2023). Report on Residents. Association of American
many demographic groups, such as ethnic minorities and Medical Colleges. Available from: https://www.aamc.
members of lower SES, are underrepresented on college org/data-reports/students-residents/data/report-
campuses, the collected data is not entirely representative residents/2022/table-b5-md-residents-race-ethnicity-and-
of the general population (Dotson & Duarte, 2020). specialty [Last accessed on 2023 Dec 12].
Studies revealed that community-based involvement in Appelbaum, L.G., Shenasa, M.A., Stolz, L., & Daskalakis, Z.
trials results in a more diverse participant pool, leading (2023). Synaptic plasticity and mental health: Methods,
to greater representation in community trials (Shea et al., challenges and opportunities. Neuropsychopharmacology,
2022). This implies that conducting more community- 48(1):113-120.
based interventional trials, as opposed to solely relying on https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-022-01370-w
academic medical institutions, can improve enrollment Araya, R., Zitko, P., Markkula, N., Rai, D., & Jones, K. (2018).
diversity. Determinants of access to health care for depression in
49 countries: A multilevel analysis. Journal of Affective
4. Conclusion Disorders, 234:80-88.
Although efforts are being made to address concerns https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2018.02.092
regarding disparities in access to mental health care, Asnis, G.M., Fink, M., & Saferstein, S. (1978). ECT in metropolitan
inequities persist and continue to be a public health burden. New York hospitals: A survey of practice, 1975-1976. The
Because of the unique role of interventional therapies in American Journal of Psychiatry, 135(4):479-482.
the treatment of more severe, treatment-resistant illnesses, https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.135.4.479
these inequities are amplified. Through awareness of these
barriers and consideration of the solutions suggested Axis Integrated Mental Health. TMS Therapy Costs Axis
above, it may be possible to ameliorate these disparities and Integrated Mental Health. Available from: https://axismh.
broaden the reach and impact of this important branch of com/home-page-2/tms-therapy-costs [Last accessed on
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psychiatric care.
Bailey, R.K., Mokonogho, J., & Kumar, A. (2019), Racial and
Acknowledgments ethnic differences in depression: Current perspectives.
Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 15:603-609.
None.
https://doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S128584
Funding Bailine, S.H., & Rau, J.H. (1981). The decision to use ECT:
This research was enabled by generous support from the A retrospective study. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 22(3):274-281.
Kreutzkamp Family Foundation. https://doi.org/10.1016/0010-440x(81)90085-7

Volume 2 Issue 1 (2024) 5 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.2456