Racial Disparities in the Treatment of Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: How Far Have We Come?

This paper reviews the literature examining antipsychotic prescription disparities between white people and black people. Despite literature documenting racial discrepancies in diagnosis, there have been limited studies examining disparities in antipsychotic prescription between white people and black people. Studies have demonstrated that black people are more likely to receive first generation antipsychotics, higher antipsychotic doses, and long acting injectables, but less likely to receive clozapine. Much of this work was done in the early 2000s. Future research directions include investigation into why these disparities exist. Literature examining these disparities has focused on genetic and sociological factors; however, the impact of prescriber bias and structural racism remains underexplored. Until the research proceeds, future clinical directions should include empowering patients, families, and clinicians to question practices that may exacerbate these known disparities.