Recognize depression on the basis of WhatsApp chats

The smartphone as a medical aid for depression?

Smartphones and messenger services like WhatsApp have long since become indispensable in everyday life. The mobile phone has already been firmly integrated in the field of communication and entertainment. The field of health is basically nothing new for the all-purpose miracle. Apps that monitor different bodily functions using watches or clothing are becoming increasingly popular. But researchers at the University of Tübingen go one step further, because soon the smartphone should also be able to make statements about the mental state of the user and even recognize depression early.

What's up? Study for WhatsApp

The diploma psychologist Stefan Lüttke from the University of Tübingen starts from April 2018 an unusual project. It is the development of a mobile app that can recognize early on depressive disorders in children and adolescents. In the first step, the app should evaluate WhatsApp chat logs and examine them for changes in language usage and use of emojis. For it is already known from previous research that people in a depressive phase change their writing behavior and, for example, use more negative words.

The smartphone will soon serve as an early warning system for depressive disorders in children and adolescents. (Image: Focus Pocus LTD / fotolia.com)

Ambitious goals

The aim of this long-term study is the development of an early-warning and support system for depressive disorders in children and adolescents. The mobile app is intended to evaluate various psychological data and changes in the behavior of the user. The acquisition of this information should be done by close-fitting devices, such as smart watches or clothing or the mobile phone itself. The resulting result should then also be usable for therapeutic or preventive measures by the smartphone, for example, displays intervention suggestions for the user.

Why is early depression important??

Children and adolescents who have ever had depression suffer another relapse in about 70% of cases within two to seven years, reports Stefan Lüttke in the feature film of the project. According to Lüttke, two thirds of the patients even develop chronic depression and recurrent relapses. Therefore, it is very important to recognize depressive disorders early and to intervene.

Study to be funded by crowdfunding

The What's up? Study is still in the planning for funding right now. This should be realized by crowdfunding. By 4 February 2018 at least 5000 euros should be collected for the study to start. So far the realization goal is not yet fulfilled. If you want to support the study, you can do so on the Crowdfundige page of the project. (Fp)