A review of pharmacoepidemiology research in the mental health field
Pharmacotherapy for patients with mental illnesses needs to be founded on research. Pharmacoepidemiology has been made more accessible by the availability of digital data, which allows observational studies to be conducted on real-world medications’ efficacy. Pharmacoepidemiology allows understudied groups to be studied in their natural settings because of large patient samples. As well as being more cost-effective and quicker to conduct than randomized controlled trials, this research may focus on long-term effects, generic medicines, and discontinuing medication (deprescribing). We can contribute to developing already-marketed medicines by combining pharmacoepidemiology and pharmacovigilance techniques. In observational pharmacoepidemiological studies, treatment selection is not randomized, resulting in confounding by indication. Potential solutions to this problem include active comparative groups, within-individual studies, and propensity scoring. Triangulation of multiple analytical approaches has strengthened many more rigorous pharmacoepidemiology studies and enhanced Belief in the Relationships inferred from causality. As data resources and analytic methods advance, guidelines must incorporate evidence from randomized controlled trials and observational pharmacoepidemiological studies. By cooperating with guideline writers, pharmacoepidemiology researchers can provide answers to essential policymaker queries and ensure that their conclusions are incorporated into the evidence base. To take full advantage of upcoming opportunities, statistical and data science techniques must be advanced, outreach and engagement must be increased, and capacity building (data resources and researcher base).
Keywords: Pharmacoepidemiology, mental health, pharmacovigilance
