Culturally sensitive psychopharmacological research

Abstract

In recent years there has been increased recognition of the importance of developing culturally sensitive treatment in European psychiatry. A key area that requires further attention, however is related to the efficacy and security of psychopharmacological agents. It is increasingly well understood that drug metabolism can vary considerably across populations groups. At the same time, psychopharmacological research, from initial development of a new molecule to efficacy and security studies, to the identification of new indications, is generally carried out in Europe or North America, primarily using research subjects who are of White European descent. Furthermore, the development of the medication is predicated on the specific clinical issues that are of relevance to the target population. The upshot of this is that psychopharmacological research may be of limited relevance for those patients who are not of European or European American descent. To make psychopharmacological research more relevant requires that clinical issues relevant to the target population are included in the research protocol, that genetic variations are taken into consideration and identified, that the instruments used to measure the disorder in question are culturally valid, and that the overall research project is designed with the objective of understanding how cultural and genetic differences can impact pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics. This presentation will conclude with a brief description of a culturally sensitive ethnopsychopharmacological research project.