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Facebook Posts May Point To Depression, Study Finds (nbcnews.com) 81

Posted by msmash from the early-signs dept.
People's Facebook posts might predict whether they are suffering from depression, researchers reported this week. From a report: The researchers found that the words people used seemed to indicate whether they would later be diagnosed with depression. The findings offer a way to flag people who may be in need of help, but they also raise important questions about people's health privacy, the team reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. People who were later clinically diagnosed with depression used more "I" language, according to Johannes Eichstaedt of the University of Pennsylvania and his colleagues. They also used more words reflecting loneliness, sadness and hostility. "We observed that users who ultimately had a diagnosis of depression used more first-person singular pronouns, suggesting a preoccupation with the self," they wrote. That is an indicator of depression in some people. The team recruited 683 people who visited an emergency room for their study and asked to see their Facebook pages. Most were not depressed, but 114 had a depression diagnosis in their medical records.
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Facebook Posts May Point To Depression, Study Finds More

Facebook Posts May Point To Depression, Study Finds

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  • Yes (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    We want Facebook to evaluate mental health, this seems like a perfectly sane thing to do

    • +1

    • Re:Yes (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Locke2005 ( 849178 ) on Wednesday October 17, 2018 @05:34PM (#57494828)
      First clue that you have a mental health problem: you're on FaceBook.

    • We want Facebook to evaluate mental health, this seems like a perfectly sane thing to do

      (...Poe's law adjustment...)

      I don't think anyone (certainly not me) wants Facebook to be an evaluator of mental health. But when someone leaves clues that point to self-destruction, whether it's at home, at school, at work, at your place of worship, at social groups, at an online forum ... it's worth it to follow up in a compassionate way. If you're wrong, then oh well. But if you're right, you just might save someone's life.

      This just might be a chance for social media to do something good. And it also migh

  • Duh (Score:3)

    by Ol Olsoc ( 1175323 ) on Wednesday October 17, 2018 @04:57PM (#57494610)
    Because Facebook causes depression. It's as toxic as methyl mercury

    • Yes indeed. Aside from checking on Aunt Doris, using Facebook is like playing the lottery. A few people with the "best" lives or most sympathetic stories win, and everybody else loses.

      • Yes indeed. Aside from checking on Aunt Doris, using Facebook is like playing the lottery. A few people with the "best" lives or most sympathetic stories win, and everybody else loses.

        I only use it now for the Marketplace. I get some stuff there, and I've almost convinced the wife to let me get a rat rod.

    • +1if i had them left

    • Re:Duh (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Jeremi ( 14640 ) on Wednesday October 17, 2018 @05:24PM (#57494780) Homepage

      More broadly: social isolation causes depression.

      Socially isolated people often turn to Facebook to try to relieve their social isolation, but sitting alone in a room and pretending some pixels on your monitor are your friends is not a long-term viable substitute for actually spending time with people, so that mostly doesn't work.

      There's nothing unique about Facebook, one could get equally depressed by spending all one's time alone with Fortnight or Slashdot or Instagram or any other software.

      • Re:Duh (Score:5, Insightful)

        by ShanghaiBill ( 739463 ) on Wednesday October 17, 2018 @05:34PM (#57494824)

        social isolation causes depression.

        ... and depression causes social isolation. It is hard to break the loop.

        sitting alone in a room and pretending some pixels on your monitor are your friends is not a long-term viable substitute for actually spending time with people

        Exactly. Pixels are not enough. That's why I got a RealDoll.

        • Re: (Score:3)

          by _merlin ( 160982 )

          You previously claimed your wife bought you the RealDoll when she was going away on a business trip, and you really didn't think you'd need it. Have you warmed up to the doll now, to the point that it helps you avoid depression? Is your wife away frequently enough now that she's not providing the companionship you need, and you're falling back on the doll as a substitute? Are you feeling distant from your wife and falling back on the doll? Does this have something to do with your daughter moving out? C

      • More broadly: social isolation causes depression.

        Socially isolated people often turn to Facebook to try to relieve their social isolation, but sitting alone in a room and pretending some pixels on your monitor are your friends is not a long-term viable substitute for actually spending time with people, so that mostly doesn't work.

        One of the things that people forget is that there is a human on the other end of the intertoobz. I see many posting here who must think that they are in some sort of text based computer game where they figuratively yell and scream at whoever they are fighting with.

        So outlet or enabler, I'm not 100 percent certain.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by rtb61 ( 674572 )

        More accurately social isolation causes depression in those who have a genetic need for social interaction. For introvert computer geeks social isolation generates a ripple free brain, capable of deep thought and deep thought generates tasty, tasty, brain chemicals.

        Probably the best solution, would be to use the internet to allow the formation and hosting of group therapy sessions, a click and mortar solution. Obviously can not be done privately as it would be ruthlessly exploited (Scientology) but should

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Jeremi ( 14640 )

          More accurately social isolation causes depression in those who have a genetic need for social interaction.

          I think everyone (outside of perhaps some autistic people) has some need for social interaction, although it's true that the desired amount can vary greatly from one person to the next.

          For introvert computer geeks social isolation generates a ripple free brain, capable of deep thought and deep thought generates tasty, tasty, brain chemicals.

          I think I fit that description to a tee -- I spend ~40 hours a week in an office by myself programming, and find that to be perfectly enjoyable and productive.

          That said,

    • Because Facebook causes depression. It's as toxic as methyl mercury

      Let's hope they never to a study of this kind on Slashdot users.

      • Because Facebook causes depression. It's as toxic as methyl mercury

        Let's hope they never to a study of this kind on Slashdot users.

        I think we're mainly all just slightly insane. Posting here might fend off depression in many of us.

    • Comment removed based on user account deletion

    • Whether depressed people are 1) drawn to Facebook looking for an outlet for their pain, or 2) made more depressed BY the content they read on Facebook doesn't really matter. Depressed people are regularly on Facebook.

      Spotting the pattern is easy: Look at your list of Facebook friends and note who posts there the most often (on your feed or others). Then think about their personal lives (if you know any of the details they haven't already posted about), and you'll see a general pattern of unhappy people fill

  • Depression is of silent suffering. (Score:3)

    by jellomizer ( 103300 ) on Wednesday October 17, 2018 @05:04PM (#57494654)

    Not too surprising, Depression is suffering, just like if you have a physical illness. Normally when someone is suffering, they want some sort of attention to it. "My Leg Hurts" or "My Left arm is numb" but when you have depression you are suffering, but not in ways that you can identify. There is pain but you can figure out why, so it may be the guy they don't like so "I hate this guy" or the fact that they want someone there "I am lonely". When one is depresses they want to State that they are in pain... However will redirect the pain to different things.

  • is logging into bookface.

    Second is checking your security settings to see if they have changed "magically" since you checked.

    Third is trying to delete the bookface app off of your non-rooted phone/tablet.

  • man, you're old, no wonder you're depressed

  • In other news water is wet (Score:5, Interesting)

    by UnknownSoldier ( 67820 ) on Wednesday October 17, 2018 @05:16PM (#57494736)

    There is a reason it's called FecesBook:

    Gee, people posting crap about their shitty lives that no one gives a fuck about. Color me surprised. /sarcasm

    If people actually *did* things with (or without) their friends instead of posting idiotic selfies maybe they wouldn't feel so lonely instead of living a meaningless life hoping to get likes. I guess they would rather whine about it instead of *doing* something. Doesn't anyone have hobbies anymore??

    Irony: And now I'm posting crap about people posting crap. DOH.

    • Gee, people posting crap about their shitty lives that no one gives a fuck about. Color me surprised. /sarcasm

      Slashdot posts may indicate depression as well.

      Hugs, man.

    • of clinical depression whatsoever? It means being depressed even when you have hobbies. The problem is that _nothing_ makes you happy. Even things that should. Even things that are going well.

      The point of studies like this is to try and tell the difference between somebody going through a rough patch like "work sucks" or "my kid wakes me up at 3am crying every morning" and "I've given up on life".

      We'd have a lot less problems in the world if we'd stop telling folks to pull themselves up by their boo

      • We'd have a lot less problems in the world if we'd stop telling folks to pull themselves up by their bootstraps (a literal impossibility, the irony of which always seems lost on the folks who favor the phrase) and actually, you know, tried to solve problems.

        Ativan (Lorazepam) did me a world of good long time ago.

        To be prescribed to me again is doubtful. Since the Opiate crack down it's a last result, counseling being preferred.
        This to tell folks to pull themselves up by their bootstraps.

      • > do you have any understanding clinical depression whatsoever?

        Gee, only ALL of my life.

        > The problem is that _nothing_ makes you happy.

        Bullshit.

        The correct phrase is: Nothing makes me happy Right Now.

        1. Depression is TEMPORARY. One day it WILL end. That right there is HOPE.

        Notice how I also said "right now." No one lives being depressed 100% of their life. We all have an innate curiosity -- especially as children. So what killed yours?? Use the "peeling an onion analysis" technique.

        * I am feeli

        • You have no idea what depression is. Because you are confusing a mental illness with a mood.

          • That is one of the biggest problems in mental health treatment, people confuse the form of depression of 'my job sucks, and I am lonely' temporary moods with 'I have not interest in the things i like to do, and feel depressed even when I'm with the people I want to be with, and don't want to get out of bed' clinical depression. The first is just a mood and will change if the job improved/get a new job, and you find people to socialize (in person) with. The second is a real illness that needs to be medically

            • Exactly. There is a world of difference between feeling unpleasant and being unable to get pleasure even from things humans are physically wired to get pleasure from. The two "A"s of a depression - anhedonia and apathia - essentially make life not worth living.

    • Comment removed based on user account deletion

    • Irony: And now I'm posting crap about people posting crap. DOH.

      You seem to be depressed. Using the *I* language, expressing a lack of purpose in your activities, yet you seem to be irresistibly drawn to continuing the very same meaningless activity. Please do consult a psychiatrist.

      I seem to be giving useless advice to strangers on slashdot. Heck, I seem to need one too.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by antdude ( 79039 )

      Are you depressed? :P

  • I got so depressed I deleted my entire FaceBook account. I feel much better now!
  • "That is an indicator of depression in some people" [and could be useful for the home remedy people]. Buy St. John Wort dependably $39.95 good 1 month buy now.

  • But livejournal posts definitely do!

  • is not great.
  • Yes, I've definitely noticed I'm more depressed after using Facebook.
  • What is the effect of Slashdot posting on mental health ?!?

  • is a sure sign of depression. Just knowing there are so many people wasting so much time and giving up so much personal information in exchange for nothing of value depresses me.

  • "used more words reflecting loneliness, sadness and hostility."

    "used more first-person singular pronouns, suggesting a preoccupation with the self,"

    "That is an indicator of depression in some people."

    Most were not depressed, but 114 had a depression diagnosis in their medical records."

    Saying people used words describing being sad and it also being on social media makes me also wonder how many of the depressed people were actually depressed... and how many just wanted to say they were depressed. I s

  • The second premise that you lose privacy based on the words you use are nonsense. It's the same as you yelling in the town square.

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