Use of registers in psychiatric research

The Danish Psychiatric Case Register has been run on an electronic basis at the Department of Psychiatric Demography since 1969. Thus, the department is the generator in psychiatric epidemiological register research within the performance of register research projects as well as within relevant development of methods. On the basis of the experience gained from the Danish Psychiatric Case Register a number of fundamental principles for register research are studied. Future perspectives on record linkage of registers are mentioned and exemplified by the recently established Database for Psychiatric Epidemiological Research at the Department of Psychiatric Demography, Psychiatric University Hospital in Aarhus. Future needs including the ability to record psychiatric morbidity in primary health service and the need to record the patients' disabilities and resources are stressed.