Content of this journal is licensed under a Widespread open access to data is essential in the field of psychiatry. We are today in a data-driven information age where data is not only a carrier of information, but also a new type of production factor.1 Open data can break down information barriers, reduce duplication of efforts, and improve the efficiency and quality of scientific research.
The Chinese government cares about psychiatry. By 2022, depression was estimated at 10.6% in China, and anxiety at 15.8%. Approximately 13% of people globally had mental illnesses.2,3 The “Healthy China 2030” blueprint4 aims to improve psychiatry services in China.
The variety of large data sources makes opening and using them in healthcare tough. Psychiatry privacy needs improvement. Healthcare data open platforms like the World Health Organization (WHO) Data exist; however, psychiatry data open platforms are rare. Additionally, some sites restrict access. Some psychiatry databases have limited data. Before using data from some databases, researchers or the public must request approval.
The Psychology and Behavior Investigation of Chinese Residents (PBICR) database is a comprehensive database that encompasses China. It includes a main database of individuals over eighteen years old who were chosen from the community, as well as sub-databases of special populations or patients. The total sample size of the database is in the hundreds of thousands. The database is currently in the implementation of the data open plan, and researchers from several countries have produced over 100 peer-reviewed journal papers.
The 2024 PBICR project includes significant and relevant variables in the field of psychiatry, such as anxiety, depression, self-injury, and suicide. More importantly, the database will gradually become accessible to data, with priority given to scholars and students who play an essential role in its construction. The data will be opened to the public progressively, and the fully open data will only be labeled with the source of the database without any additional conditions so that more researchers can freely access and use the data.5 It helps scholars in related domains study psychiatry concerns in depth with crucial data.
The PBICR promotes openness and cooperation to demolish information silos. We want psychiatry databases to emphasize specific subjects, improve data accuracy, expand data sources, strengthen privacy controls, and be open and transparent.
Funding Statement
The authors declared that this study has received no financial support.
Footnotes
Peer Review: Not appliacble.
Author Contributions: Concept – W.Y.B., F.S.Y.; Design – W.Y.B., F.S.Y., C.W.W., Y.Y.Q.; Supervision – W.Y.B.; Writing – Y.Y.Q.; Critical Review – W.Y.B., Y.Y.Q., F.S.Y., C.W.W.
Declaration of Interests: Yibo Wu is serving as a member of the editorial board of this journal. We declare that Yibo Wu had no involvement in the decision of this letter and has no access to information regarding its decision. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
References
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