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The effects of race and criminal justice involvement on access to atypical antipsychotic medications among persons with schizophrenia.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Van Dorn, RA; Swanson, JW; Swartz, MS; Elbogen, EB
Published in: Ment Health Serv Res
June 2005

This study examined the impact of race and arrest history on the likelihood of being prescribed, and maintaining an atypical antipsychotic prescription for 90 or more days among patients with schizophrenia in the community. Participants were 224 adults with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders receiving services in public-sector mental health systems in North Carolina. The data used for this report were from a subsample of a larger group of participants being followed in an observational study and consisted of individuals who were prescribed either an atypical or conventional antipsychotic medication for 90 or more days. The purpose of the analyses presented here was to investigate differences in the likelihood of being prescribed an atypical antipsychotic by demographic and other characteristics. Logistic regression analysis indicated that African American patients were significantly less likely to receive atypical antipsychotics than their white counterparts, even when controlling for key clinical and demographic variables. However, white patients with a history of arrest were no more likely than black patients to receive atypical antipsychotics; that is, minority racial status and criminal involvement each functioned to limit patients' access to the novel medications. Implications for equal access to mental health services, in this case, effective psychopharmacologic treatment, are discussed.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Ment Health Serv Res

DOI

ISSN

1522-3434

Publication Date

June 2005

Volume

7

Issue

2

Start / End Page

123 / 134

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • White People
  • Substance-Related Disorders
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Schizophrenia
  • Psychiatry
  • Prisoners
  • Prejudice
  • North Carolina
  • Male
  • Logistic Models
 

Citation

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ICMJE
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Van Dorn, R. A., Swanson, J. W., Swartz, M. S., & Elbogen, E. B. (2005). The effects of race and criminal justice involvement on access to atypical antipsychotic medications among persons with schizophrenia. Ment Health Serv Res, 7(2), 123–134. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11020-005-3783-z
Van Dorn, Richard A., Jeffrey W. Swanson, Marvin S. Swartz, and Eric B. Elbogen. “The effects of race and criminal justice involvement on access to atypical antipsychotic medications among persons with schizophrenia.Ment Health Serv Res 7, no. 2 (June 2005): 123–34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11020-005-3783-z.
Van Dorn RA, Swanson JW, Swartz MS, Elbogen EB. The effects of race and criminal justice involvement on access to atypical antipsychotic medications among persons with schizophrenia. Ment Health Serv Res. 2005 Jun;7(2):123–34.
Van Dorn, Richard A., et al. “The effects of race and criminal justice involvement on access to atypical antipsychotic medications among persons with schizophrenia.Ment Health Serv Res, vol. 7, no. 2, June 2005, pp. 123–34. Pubmed, doi:10.1007/s11020-005-3783-z.
Van Dorn RA, Swanson JW, Swartz MS, Elbogen EB. The effects of race and criminal justice involvement on access to atypical antipsychotic medications among persons with schizophrenia. Ment Health Serv Res. 2005 Jun;7(2):123–134.

Published In

Ment Health Serv Res

DOI

ISSN

1522-3434

Publication Date

June 2005

Volume

7

Issue

2

Start / End Page

123 / 134

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • White People
  • Substance-Related Disorders
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Schizophrenia
  • Psychiatry
  • Prisoners
  • Prejudice
  • North Carolina
  • Male
  • Logistic Models