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Gender and Ethnic Diversity in NIMH-funded Clinical Trials: Review of a Decade of Published Research

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Abstract

A total of 379 NIMH-funded clinical trials published between 1995 and 2004 in five major mental health journals were assessed on their inclusion of women and racial/ethnic groups in their study recruitment. Findings showed that whereas most of the studies reported gender information and gender representation was balanced across studies, less than half of the studies provided complete racial/ethnic information. All racial/ethnic groups except Whites and African Americans were underrepresented, a pattern that has not improved significantly over the last decade. Less than half of the studies had potential for subgroup analyses by gender and race/ethnicity.

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Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the UCSF Center for Aging in Diverse Communities under NIH grant P30–AG15272 for Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research program by NIA, NINR, and NCMHD, and by NIMH grant T32MH018261-20.

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Correspondence to Winnie W. S. Mak.

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Mak, W.W.S., Law, R.W., Alvidrez, J. et al. Gender and Ethnic Diversity in NIMH-funded Clinical Trials: Review of a Decade of Published Research. Adm Policy Ment Health 34, 497–503 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-007-0133-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-007-0133-z

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