Your smartphone may be able to tell if you’re depressed
A new iPhone app aims to track and predict mood episodes to help people with mental illness seek help early.
BiAffect was created by psychiatrist Alex Leow and Peter Nelson when Nelson’s son was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a brain disorder that causes shifts in mood and energy.
Nelson thought if his son was able to track his mood, he would be better able to seek help.
To identify whether a person is experiencing a manic or depressive episode, the app tracks the typing speed, frequency of the use of backspace and spellcheck and pressure applied to the keys.
Research by Leow and Nelson found that typing speed, spelling errors and using backspace while texting correlate with manic and depressive episodes.
People in a manic episode have reduced impulse control, which means they are less likely to correct typing mistakes. In a depressive episode, people are more likely to type slower.
BiAffect recently won the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Mood Challenge, a $US200,000 prize for proposals that further an understanding of how mood relates to daily lives.
Leow and Nelson will use the funding to make the BiAffect app, which will be available later this year. Users interested in the app can sign up for updates at, www.biaffect.com.