14 DAY TRIAL // You might think you know everything there is to know about your phone, but the harsh truth is you don't. For instance, chances are you have no idea it can tell if you're depressed. Or at least that's what Northwestern University researchers claim in a new study.
Writing in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, the scientists detail that, in a series of experiments, they managed to identify depression symptoms in a group of volunteers with 87% accuracy simply by compiling and analyzing data provided by their phones.
The researchers focused on how much time the volunteers would spend on their phones on a daily basis and also on their routine, as revealed by GPS tracking information, Medical Express informs. This allowed them to identify the volunteers struggling with depression.
In the report describing their work, the team explains that the depressed individuals included in their study would use their phone for an average 68 minutes daily. Non-depressed individuals, on the other hand, only used it for an average 17 minutes.
The specialists think this was because the depressed volunteers had made it a habit to constantly be on their phones to avoid having to interact with people.
Furthermore, the volunteers diagnosed with depression symptoms would spend most of their time at home and have a rather hectic schedule. The non-depressed ones were found to have a more regular schedule and be more active on the social scene.
“The significance of this is we can detect if a person has depressive symptoms and the severity of those symptoms without asking them any questions,” explained study senior author David Mohr.
The scientists now wish to try and determine whether phones can be used to keep a close eye on people at risk of depression and make it easier for care providers to intervene, should need be.