Representation of racial and ethnic minorities in U.S. depression trials comparing psychotherapy vs. controls: A meta-analysis using state population benchmarks.
Lisa Segre, Lingyao Tong, Esra Kaya Aglio et al.
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In 30 seconds
This meta-analysis evaluated racial and ethnic representation in U.S. randomized trials comparing psychotherapy to controls for depression, involving 8,819 participants across 76 trials. It found that race/ethnicity was not reported in 29.1% of studies, with Black participants overrepresented and Hispanic/Latino, Asian, and multiracial participants underrepresented. The overall effect of psychotherapy was moderate (g = 0.62).
Key findings
- Race/ethnicity was not reported in 29.1% of studies.
- Black participants were overrepresented, while Hispanic/Latino, Asian, and multiracial participants were underrepresented.
- Psychotherapy demonstrated a moderate effect size of g = 0.62.
- The association between minority representation and treatment effectiveness was not significant after adjustments.
Why it matters
Understanding the representation of racial and ethnic minorities in clinical trials is crucial for ensuring that psychotherapy findings are generalizable to the diverse U.S. population. Incomplete reporting can hinder the evaluation of treatment effectiveness across different demographic groups.