Race Analysis in an African American Sample With Serious Mental Illness and Comorbid Diabetes

Objectives: Targeted Training in Illness Management (TTIM) focuses on enhancing care engagement for people living with serious mental illness and diabetes. This secondary analysis from a 60-week, randomized controlled trial of TTIM versus treatment as usual evaluated racial subgroup outcomes. Method: Demographics, clinical characteristics, and diabetes status were evaluated for those self-identifying as non-Hispanic White, African American, and Hispanic. Longitudinal response to TTIM was evaluated using a multiple domain risk index. Due to their small sample size; those identifying as Hispanic were excluded from this analysis. Results: Non-Hispanic White participants had greater baseline socioeconomic advantages. Baseline risk scores, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) values, and HbA1c differences over time were similar for African American and non-Hispanic White participants. Conclusions and Implications for Practice: African American participants living with serious mental illness and diabetes receiving TTIM did as well as non-Hispanic White participants. Inclusive approaches that feature peer support and are situated in safety-net health care settings need to be further investigated with respect to potentially impacting health disparities.