Demographic, psychosocial, clinical, and neurocognitive baseline characteristics of Black Americans in the RAISE-ETP study

This study compared baseline characteristics of Black Americans and Caucasians with first-episode psychosis in the Recovery After an Initial Schizophrenia Episode Early Treatment Program (RAISE-ETP). Black American (N = 152) and Caucasian (N = 218) participants were compared on demographic, psychosocial, clinical, and neurocognitive measures. Results indicated several notable racial differences in baseline characteristics: a greater proportion of Black Americans than Caucasians were female, and Black Americans reported less personal and parental education than Caucasians. Black Americans were also less likely to have private insurance, more likely to be homeless or transient, had significantly poorer quality of life, more severe disorganized symptoms, worse neurocognition, and were less likely to abuse alcohol than Caucasians. The implications of these findings are discussed, and suggestions are provided for future avenues of treatment and research on racial disparities in first-episode psychosis.