Smartphone that treats depression underway

Spotting the symptoms of depression can be difficult – here is a video that tells you more about it – but there might soon be a smartphone on the market that does just that.

Scientists at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Center are developing inventing a smartphone that can spot symptoms of depression in its user and take immediate actions to counter it in real time. This is part of a series of other web-based, mobile and virtual technologies being developed to treat depression and other mood disorders.

The phone technology will reportedly monitor a person’s location, activity level, social context and mood, and by learning the user’s usual patterns it can sense he or she is isolated and will send suggestions to call or see friends.

The technology, called Mobilyze, has so far been tested in a small pilot study and is said to have helped reduced symptoms of depression.

Psychologist David Mohr, Director of the new Center for Behavioural Intervention Technologies and a professor of preventative medicine at Northwestern’s Feinberg School, commented: “By prompting people to increase behaviours that are pleasurable or rewarding, we believe that Mobilyze will improve mood. It creates a positive feedback loop. Someone is encouraged to see friends, then enjoys himself and wants to do it again.”