I am leading a research group on psychiatric epidemiology at the Department of Clinical Epidemiology (http://kea.au.dk). Our work combines advanced epidemiological methods and large administrative databases (e.g., electronic healthcare records) to understand the causes and consequences of mental disorders. The focus of our research is to analyze the impact of mental disorders on several health and societal outcomes, including comorbidity (within mental disorders and with other physical diseases) and mortality. Our research group also focuses on advancing the understanding of the social determinants of mental disorders. Poor socioeconomic position is an independent risk factor for many adverse health outcomes, and it is strongly associated with poor mental health. Thus, it is vital to understand the interplay between these two factors to reduce the impact of mental disorders. Furthermore, we also work on developing new strategies to improve the accuracy and validity of register-based studies. We develop methods to overcome the limitations of electronic databases, e.g., using surveys to incorporate information on social connections or lifestyle factors – usually absent in register-based research; or methods to accommodate shifts in patient characteristics over time, essential to understanding potential interventions. These methods allow us to have more valid and accurate studies that will help us better guide policies and clinical practice.
