title: 'Big data' in mental health research: current status and emerging possibilities.
abstract: 'Big data' are accumulating in a multitude of domains and offer novel opportunities for research. The role of these resources in mental health investigations remains relatively unexplored, although a number of datasets are in use and supporting a range of projects. We sought to review big data resources and their use in mental health research to characterise applications to date and consider directions for innovation in future.
  
  
  
  A narrative review.
  
  
  
  Clear disparities were evident in geographic regions covered and in the disorders and interventions receiving most attention.
  
  
  
  We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the use of different types of data and the challenges of big data in general. Current research output from big data is still predominantly determined by the information and resources available and there is a need to reverse the situation so that big data platforms are more driven by the needs of clinical services and service users.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Box 63, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK. robert.stewart@kcl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-4435-6397
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Box 63, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
authors.forename: Katrina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D066289:Data Curation / Q000639:trends*; D057225:Data Mining / Q000639:trends*; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health; D012106:Research / Q000639:trends*
keywords: Big data; Electronic health records; Epidemiology; Mental disorders