Influences of race and clinical variables on psychiatric genetic research participation: Results from a schizophrenia sample

ABSTRACT ObjectiveAdvances in genetics has led to a better understanding of both genetic and environmental contributions to psychiatric mental health disorders. But psychiatric genetics research is predominantly Eurocentric, and individuals of non-European ancestry continue to be significantly underrepresented in research studies. The objective of this study was to examine factors associated with genetic study participation in a schizophrenia sample. MethodsThe study sample was extracted from the Clinical Antipsychotics Trial of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) schizophrenia study which enrolled patients with schizophrenia between the ages of 18-65 and incorporated an optional genetic sub-study. Using regression models, we examined sociodemographic and clinical factors that were independently associated with participation in the genetic sub-study. ResultsThe genetic sub-study had a lower proportion of Black (30% in genetic vs 40% in CATIE overall) and Other race (4% vs 6%) participants. Severe psychopathology symptoms (odds ratio [OR]=0.78, p=0.004) and better reasoning scores (OR = 1.16, p = 0.036) influenced the odds of genetic study participation. Compared to Black participants, White participants were significantly more likely to participate in the genetic sub-study (OR=1.43, p=0.009) ConclusionRace and clinical variables significantly impact genetic study participation of individuals with schizophrenia. Future studies should examine the interactive effects of race and clinical variables for a nuanced understanding of how individuals diagnosed with severe psychiatric illnesses choose to participate in genetics studies.