Ethnic and Racial Groups
In specific ethnic and racial groups, there may be differences in response to psychotropic medications, partly based on pharmacogenetic differences, but also due to cultural variations in the experience of psychiatric symptoms. These differences should be taken into account when extrapolating from research conducted mostly in the United States and Europe. Most research on psychotropic medications has been conducted in Western industrialized countries, mostly on Caucasians. It is reasonable to ask about the relevance of this research to other ethnic and racial groups. In Western countries, specifically, African-Americans, Hispanics, and Asians have been the most studied of these. There is limited research in Africa and the Middle East on the effects of psychotropic medications. In this chapter, available research will be reviewed with a focus on its relevance for clinical treatment as well as on diagnostic aspects.