Latinos with obsessive-compulsive disorder: Mental healthcare utilization and inclusion in clinical trials

Previous research has documented that ethnic minorities, particularly Latinos, obtain fewer mental health services than Caucasians (Kearney et al., 2005 and Sue et al., 1991). Conceivably, this may be due to a wide array of cultural issues (e.g., negative stigma attached to mental health, and language, socio-economic, and acculturation barriers), symptom disparities across Caucasian and Latino groups, or lack of effective outreach methods by clinicians and researchers. However, research is limited. As a result, Latinos may be insufficiently represented in clinical studies for OCD, making it unclear whether evidence-based treatments demonstrate the same efficacy and effectiveness for Latinos as has been demonstrated for Caucasians. The current study takes an in-depth analysis of 98 efficacy and effectiveness studies for OCD from across the Western hemisphere and reports the rates of Latino inclusion from each sample. Ninety clinical studies in the US and Canada, as well as eight clinical studies in Mexico and Central America were reviewed. Findings showed that only 11 (24%) US and Canadian studies included Latino participants, illustrating an overwhelming underrepresentation of Latinos in clinical studies for OCD. Further explanation of the results and their implications are discussed, along with suggestions for effectively improving access to mental health research and appropriate treatments.

► Latinos are less likely to utilize mental health services than Caucasians.
► Thus, Latinos may be insufficiently represented in clinical studies for OCD.
► The study reviews clinical studies for OCD and reports the rates of Latino inclusion.
► Only 11 (24%) of the US and Canadian studies included Latino participants.
► This demonstrates an overwhelming underrepresentation of Latinos in clinical studies.