Penn State Neuroscience Institute Expands Access to Groundbreaking Mental Health Registry
Penn State has expanded access to a powerful clinical registry of mental health data, the Penn State Clinical Assessment and Rating Evaluation System (PCARES), to investigators at the University Park campus through the Penn State Neuroscience Institute (PSNI).
Developed by faculty in Penn State’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at the College of Medicine, PCARES is a robust clinical quality registry that captures assessment and patient-reported outcomes data from over 7,000 individuals—spanning both youth and adults—receiving psychiatric and psychological care. The registry aims to enhance diagnostic accuracy, monitor symptom and functional outcomes, and identify key psychological, psychiatric, and social risk factors across diverse populations.
The PCARES dataset includes a wide array of measures such as DSM-5 symptom screeners, depression and bipolar disorder assessments, anxiety, trauma exposure, substance use, and suicide risk. For youth, data also includes detailed caregiver reports on ADHD, autism, conduct problems, irritability, and other psychopathologies—along with electronic medical record data such as lab values and vitals. The dataset is aligned with national research standards through its participation in the National Network of Depression Centers Mood Outcomes Registry.
The registry is curated by a team including Dr. Erika Saunders, Dr. Dan Waschbusch, and Dr. Guodong Liu, and currently includes over 500 individuals with comprehensive diagnostic interviews and 400+ saliva samples, further enriching the biological and behavioral insights it can offer. “We have been focused on accurate assessment to improve the process of diagnosis and capturing patient-reported outcomes within the medical record. Understanding what a person is experiencing is crucial for determining what the target for treatment is and how treatments are working.”
PCARES access is supported by Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), the Social Science Research Institute, and ongoing NIH funding proposals. Investigators interested in utilizing the data are encouraged to consult the PCARES Research User’s Guide or contact Dr. Saunders or Dr. Waschbusch directly.