Research: Are you depressed? Your smartphone already knows!
The study is published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, and it is considered that the data obtained in this way are more accurate than those obtained through a process of daily questioning.
Data from smartphone sensors can help detect/diagnose depression by measuring the number of minutes of mobile phone use and taking into account geographic location, according to new research from Northwestern Medicine .
As reported in a related PhysOrg publication, the more hours someone spends with their phone, the more likely they are to have depression.
The average daily usage was about 68 minutes for those suffering from depression, while for those without depression it is only 17.
At the same time, spending more time at one's home- or even in limited locations, as shown by GPS- is a phenomenon/indicator that is also considered to be linked to depression.
And also, having «unstructured» program- that is, for example, leaving home and going to work at different hours each day- is also considered to be related to depression.
Based on data from smartphones, Northwestern scientists were able to identify individuals with symptoms of depression with an accuracy of about 87%.
As David More, senior author of the study and director of the Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies (Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine), explains, there is now an objective criterion regardingsomeone's behavior and how it may be related to depression.
The main advantage is that one does not need to ask questions, as phones do the work «silently».
The study is published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, and it is believed that the data obtained in this way is more accurate than that obtained through a process of daily questions.
source: naftemporiki.gr
