Innovative Development of Research Engagement Manual: Strategies to Enhance Recruitment and Retention of Black Individuals in Clinical Trials for Substance Use Disorders

Background: The participation of Black individuals in clinical trials remains lower than that of other racial and ethnic groups. Substance abuse adds additional barriers to recruitment and retention. While significant attention has been devoted to identifying barriers to recruitment/retention, effor...

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Main Authors: Geoffrey Obel, DeWanda Harris-Trimiar, Joshua S. Elmore, Taryn L. Mayes, Adrienne Mays, Angela Casey-Willingham, Srividya Vasu, Steven Shoptaw, Madhukar H. Trivedi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Mary Ann Liebert 2025-02-01
Series:Health Equity
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Online Access:https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1177/24731242251362181
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author Geoffrey Obel
DeWanda Harris-Trimiar
Joshua S. Elmore
Taryn L. Mayes
Adrienne Mays
Angela Casey-Willingham
Srividya Vasu
Steven Shoptaw
Madhukar H. Trivedi
author_facet Geoffrey Obel
DeWanda Harris-Trimiar
Joshua S. Elmore
Taryn L. Mayes
Adrienne Mays
Angela Casey-Willingham
Srividya Vasu
Steven Shoptaw
Madhukar H. Trivedi
author_sort Geoffrey Obel
collection DOAJ
description Background: The participation of Black individuals in clinical trials remains lower than that of other racial and ethnic groups. Substance abuse adds additional barriers to recruitment and retention. While significant attention has been devoted to identifying barriers to recruitment/retention, efforts have been largely unsuccessful in increasing the participation of Black individuals in clinical trials. This article details Phase 1 efforts to develop sustainable strategies to increase enrollment/recruitment of Black participants in clinical trials through an Innovative Development of Research Engagement Manual. Methods: Phase 1 involved a literature review and the establishment of an Expert Diversity Advisory Board, which identified barriers to Black individual participation in substance use disorder (SUD) research. Identified barriers included lack of awareness of research, mistrust, lack of comfort with research, lack of information, and time/resource constraints. Focus groups were conducted to assess the importance of the identified factors in 61 Black participants with SUD history. Results: Among the focus group participants, 37.7% indicated mistrust, 45.9% indicated a lack of knowledge, and 27.9% stated safety concerns as reasons for not engaging with researchers. They considered compensation, research benefits, study duration, privacy, safety, and side effects as vital information that informed their decisions on clinical trial participation. The focus groups identified financial incentives, potential treatment options, and potential for improved awareness about substance abuse treatment as factors that determine retention in a study. Conclusion: With barriers identified, future efforts will focus on qualitative assessments of focus group material and developing and evaluating the manual.
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publishDate 2025-02-01
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spelling doaj-art-699c761e089b4f07b0c263c5a1b069062025-08-22T05:34:25ZengMary Ann LiebertHealth Equity2473-12422025-02-019138739610.1177/24731242251362181Innovative Development of Research Engagement Manual: Strategies to Enhance Recruitment and Retention of Black Individuals in Clinical Trials for Substance Use DisordersGeoffrey Obel0DeWanda Harris-Trimiar1Joshua S. Elmore2Taryn L. Mayes3Adrienne Mays4Angela Casey-Willingham5Srividya Vasu6Steven Shoptaw7Madhukar H. Trivedi8Department of Preventative Medicine and Population Health, UT Tyler Health Science Center, Tyler, Texas, USA.North Central Texas Council of Governments, Arlington, Texas, USA.Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care, Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute and Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care, Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute and Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care, Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute and Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care, Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute and Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care, Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute and Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA.Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care, Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute and Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.Background: The participation of Black individuals in clinical trials remains lower than that of other racial and ethnic groups. Substance abuse adds additional barriers to recruitment and retention. While significant attention has been devoted to identifying barriers to recruitment/retention, efforts have been largely unsuccessful in increasing the participation of Black individuals in clinical trials. This article details Phase 1 efforts to develop sustainable strategies to increase enrollment/recruitment of Black participants in clinical trials through an Innovative Development of Research Engagement Manual. Methods: Phase 1 involved a literature review and the establishment of an Expert Diversity Advisory Board, which identified barriers to Black individual participation in substance use disorder (SUD) research. Identified barriers included lack of awareness of research, mistrust, lack of comfort with research, lack of information, and time/resource constraints. Focus groups were conducted to assess the importance of the identified factors in 61 Black participants with SUD history. Results: Among the focus group participants, 37.7% indicated mistrust, 45.9% indicated a lack of knowledge, and 27.9% stated safety concerns as reasons for not engaging with researchers. They considered compensation, research benefits, study duration, privacy, safety, and side effects as vital information that informed their decisions on clinical trial participation. The focus groups identified financial incentives, potential treatment options, and potential for improved awareness about substance abuse treatment as factors that determine retention in a study. Conclusion: With barriers identified, future efforts will focus on qualitative assessments of focus group material and developing and evaluating the manual.https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1177/24731242251362181Black individualshealth equalitydiversitysubstance abuseparticipation barriers
spellingShingle Geoffrey Obel
DeWanda Harris-Trimiar
Joshua S. Elmore
Taryn L. Mayes
Adrienne Mays
Angela Casey-Willingham
Srividya Vasu
Steven Shoptaw
Madhukar H. Trivedi
Innovative Development of Research Engagement Manual: Strategies to Enhance Recruitment and Retention of Black Individuals in Clinical Trials for Substance Use Disorders
Health Equity
Black individuals
health equality
diversity
substance abuse
participation barriers
title Innovative Development of Research Engagement Manual: Strategies to Enhance Recruitment and Retention of Black Individuals in Clinical Trials for Substance Use Disorders
title_full Innovative Development of Research Engagement Manual: Strategies to Enhance Recruitment and Retention of Black Individuals in Clinical Trials for Substance Use Disorders
title_fullStr Innovative Development of Research Engagement Manual: Strategies to Enhance Recruitment and Retention of Black Individuals in Clinical Trials for Substance Use Disorders
title_full_unstemmed Innovative Development of Research Engagement Manual: Strategies to Enhance Recruitment and Retention of Black Individuals in Clinical Trials for Substance Use Disorders
title_short Innovative Development of Research Engagement Manual: Strategies to Enhance Recruitment and Retention of Black Individuals in Clinical Trials for Substance Use Disorders
title_sort innovative development of research engagement manual strategies to enhance recruitment and retention of black individuals in clinical trials for substance use disorders
topic Black individuals
health equality
diversity
substance abuse
participation barriers
url https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1177/24731242251362181
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