Facebook can predict mental health issues

Sun Online Desk

20th June, 2019 04:27:30 printer

Facebook can predict mental health issues

Your Facebook posts may help identify conditions such as diabetes, anxiety, depression and psychosis, say scientists who suggests that language on social media posts with patient consent could be monitored just like physical symptoms. Using an automated data collection technique, the researchers from University of Pennsylvania and Stony Brook University in the US analysed the entire Facebook post history of nearly 1,000 patients who agreed to have their electronic medical record data linked to their profiles.

The researchers then built three models to analyse their predictive power for the patients: one model only analysing the Facebook post language, another that used demographics such as age and sex, and the last that combined the two datasets.

Looking into 21 different conditions, researchers found that all 21 were predictable from Facebook alone. In fact, 10 of the conditions were better predicted through the use Facebook data instead of demographic information.

“As social media posts are often about someone’s lifestyle choices and experiences or how they’re feeling, this information could provide additional information about disease management and exacerbation,” Merchant said.



Last year, many members of this research team were able to show that analysis of Facebook posts could predict a diagnosis of depression as much as three months earlier than a diagnosis in the clinic. This work builds on the study and shows that there may be potential for developing an opt-in system for patients that could analyse their social media posts and provide extra information for clinicians to refine care delivery.

Merchant said that it is tough to predict how widespread such a system would be, but it “could be valuable” for patients who use social media frequently.

“For instance, if someone is trying to lose weight and needs help understanding their food choices and exercise regimens, having a healthcare provider review their social media record might give them more insight into their usual patterns in order to help improve them,” Merchant said.


Source: health shots