In this presentation we will discuss the factors in which ethnicity plays a role in psychiatric pharmacological treatment. It is important to be aware of these points as they affect patient outcomes for these specific groups. Today we will be focusing on the biological considerations, as they relate to the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of various medications.1 Furthermore, the panel will touch upon the cultural and social factors that contribute to varied clinical outcomes of ethnic populations. 2,3     The audience will be informed of the mechanisms that underly dissimilar reactions in different racial groups. For instance, there are Ethnic differences in allele expression of subsets of cytochrome P450. This encompasses enzyme inhibition, induction, genetic polymorphism or duplication in coding regions of these enzymes; both psychotropic and non-psychotropic medications may be metabolized at different rates in different ethnicities.4,5 Speakers will explore the different comorbidities that are seen in certain minority populations including African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans.6,7,8 These predispositions must be taken into consideration when choosing the optimum antipsychotic to administer to minority groups.   The speaker will then consider cultural-economic differences in relation to how mental health and psychopharmacology is viewed. It has been shown that different ethnic groups in the United states have varying attitudes towards seeking psychiatric care and starting psychopharmacologic treatment.9 In this session we will also highlight the misconceptions and stigma maintained by various minority populations. The panel will speak on access to care and how that contributes to African Americans and Hispanics having longer courses10 and greater disabilities as a result of their mental illness.11 We will numerate the current practices that are employed, and how we can continue to rectify some disadvantages that different ethnic populations face in regard to psychopharmacologic treatment.

Learning Objectives

• Recognize the biologic and social determinants in ethnopsychopharmacology
• Understand there are ethnic differences in psychopharmacologic drug metabolism
• Justify that special care must be taken with side effect profiles when different ethnic groups are considered
• Identify the disparity in minority groups in relation to, access to care, and stigma involved in seeking care and psychopharmacologic treatment

Target Audience

Psychiatrists, Residents/Fellows

Estimated Time to Complete

Estimated Duration: 60 minutes
Begin Date: September 1, 2022
End Date: August 31, 2025

How to Earn Credit

Participants who wish to earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit ™ or a certificate of participation may do so by completing all sections of the course including the evaluation. After evaluating the program, course participants will be provided with an opportunity to claim hours of participation and print an official CME certificate (physicians) or certificate of participation (non-physicians) showing the completion date and hours earned. 

Continuing Education Credit

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. 

The APA designates this enduring CME activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Faculty and Planner Disclosures

Program Presenters

• William Lawson, MD, PhD. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
• Daniel Cho, MD. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
• Rahn Bailey, MD. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.

Program Planners

• Jacqueline Maus Feldman, M.D., Chairperson, Scientific Program Committee, Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
• Robert O. Cotes, M.D., Vice-Chairperson, Scientific Program Committee, Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests. 
• Uchenna Okeye, M.D., Vice-Chairperson, Scientific Program Committee, Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests. 
• Katie Putnam, Membership Development Specialist, American Psychiatric Association. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
• Ally Brown, Former Associate Director, Online Learning, American Psychiatric Association. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
• Vishal Madaan, MD, Chief of Education, American Psychiatric Association. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.

The American Psychiatric Association is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website to people with disabilities. If you have trouble accessing any of APA’s online resources, please contact us at 202-559-3900 for assistance.

Technical Requirements

This internet-based CME activity is best experienced using any of the following:

• The latest and 2nd latest public versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari
• Internet Explorer 11+

This Web site requires that JavaScript and session cookies be enabled. Certain activities may require additional software to view multimedia, presentation, or printable versions of the content. These activities will be marked as such and will provide links to the required software. That software may be: Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Windows Media Player.

Optimal System Configuration:

• Browser: Google Chrome (latest and 2nd latest version), Safari (latest and 2nd latest version), Internet Explorer 11.0+, Firefox (latest and 2nd latest version), or Microsoft Edge (latest and 2nd latest version)
• Operating System: Windows versions 8.1+, Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) +, Android (latest and 2nd latest version), or iOS/iPad OS (latest and 2nd latest version)
• Internet Connection: 1 Mbps or higher

Minimum Requirements:

• Windows PC: Windows 8.1 or higher; 1 GB (for 32-bit)/2 GB (for 64-bit) or higher RAM; Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
• Macintosh: Mac OS X 10.5 or higher with latest updates installed; Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor; 512 MB or higher RAM; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content

For assistance: Contact educme@psych.org for questions about this activity | Contact learningcenter@psych.org for technical assistance