Ethnicity is a frequently reported risk factor for rapid tranquillisation (RT) use in mental health. We aimed to investigate the association between ethnicity and RT use in adult mental health emergency settings and explore potential explanations for the relationship between ethnicity and RT use in these settings.

Studies were included if they reported the association between ethnicity and RT use in adult mental health emergency settings. Searches were conducted across six databases and in grey sources and references until 15 April 2024. A narrative synthesis was performed and, in addition, a random-effects model was used for meta-analysis, with odds ratio as the measure. Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) was applied to evaluate the overall certainty of evidence. Potential explanations for RT use in relation to ethnicity were also synthesised narratively.

Five studies from Norway (n = 1), Spain (n = 1) and the United States (n = 3) were included (14,777 individuals). Multiple classifications of ethnicity were used, with White, non-Hispanic and native-born serving as the ethnic majority group compared to ethnic minority counterparts. Overall, ethnic minorities in adult mental health emergency settings were non-statistically more likely to receive RT than ethnic majority populations. The overall certainty of evidence was deemed as low according to GRADE.

While RT use was not statistically significantly higher among ethnic minorities overall, Black individuals, as a specific ethnic group, had significantly increased odds of experiencing RT compared to ethnic majority populations. Additional research is necessary to confirm these findings and better understand the reasons behind these disparities through valid explanations.