[Drug monitoring: psychological methods (author's transl)]

Drug related mental and psychophysiological disturbances may be assessed by the same instruments of observation, ratings and self-ratings used for assessment of the efficacy of psychotropic drugs. Several possible sources of bias, however, concerning survey design, sample selection and evaluation and interpretation of data on adverse drug reactions have to be identified by careful documentation in order to exclude confounding factors, such as type and severity of treated and additional diseases, external events, personal factors in perception of symptoms by patient and physician.