Comparative Analysis of Adverse Event Reporting on Reddit and the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS)

This study explores the potential of Reddit as a pharmacovigilance data source by comparing its adverse event reports related to mental health drugs with those from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Using data mining techniques, we annotated 1,000 Reddit posts to identify drug-adverse event pairs, which were then compared to FAERS data. Significant differences were noted in the frequency and types of adverse events reported on each platform. For instance, Reddit showed higher reports of sexual dysfunction and cognitive disorders for certain drugs, which were less frequently reported in FAERS. This disparity suggests that Reddit could capture a different demographic or more candid discussions, potentially influenced by its pseudonymous nature. The findings indicate that social media platforms like Reddit can provide valuable insights into real-world drug effects, complementing traditional pharmacovigilance systems. This study highlights the need for further research to integrate social media data to enhance drug safety monitoring.