Original Research J Clin Psychiatry August 2026

Decades After the NIH Revitalization Act: Persistent Gaps in Diversity of US Antidepressant Trials

JCP 2026;87(3):10.4088/JCP.26m16436

Full Article Read the complete peer-reviewed article in J Clin Psychiatry. Clinical Summary Psychiatrists routinely apply antidepressant trial data to patients whose sex, race, and ethnicity can affect treatment response, tolerability, and adherence. This analysis shows that even decades after federal efforts to improve inclusion, many US antidepressant trials still do not adequately report or reflect the populations seen in practice. FAQ How often do US antidepressant trials report sex, race, and ethnicity data?

Key Takeaways Demographic transparency remains a major limitation in the antidepressant trial literature: among 166 included US trials, sex was reported in 90.36%, but race in only 39.16% and ethnicity in 33.13%, which constrains subgroup interpretation even before representation is assessed. Clinical Guide How should clinicians judge whether an antidepressant trial applies to a patient whose sex, race, or ethnicity may be underrepresented in the evidence base? Clinical Guide How can clinicians and trial teams improve recruitment and retention of underrepresented groups in antidepressant trials?