New Methodology Could Help To Better Treat Mood Disorders

the Psychiatry Advisor take:

A team of scientists is looking to harness the power of “big data” to develop a new methodology and visualization tools to cluster patients with mood disorders. Their aim is to group patients based on comprehensive data profiles, which include genetic, environmental, demographic and clinical data, rather than DSM criteria, which could improve treatment decisions.

Led by Rachael Hageman Blair, PhD, of the University of Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professions, in New York, the research team includes biostatisticians, information scientists, mathematicians and psychiatrists.  They note that studies from the National Institute for Mental Health indicate that treatments for mood disorders are less than 25% effective.

“Our aim is to ignore the DSM label and regroup patients based on comprehensive data profiles, which include genetic, environmental, demographic and clinical data, among others,” Blair said in a statement. “Some groups of individuals may be more responsive to treatment, which is important for precision medicine.”

The next step for the team is to develop the methodology.