This study carried out by a team of doctors, researchers, engineers, computer scientists and bioinformaticians invites research through wearable technologies and smartphones.
A carried out by the project researchers a collaboration co-led by the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London (IoPPN), and published in revealed that People diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) who spent more time at home reported evidence of more severe symptoms.
Geolocation data from smartphones and portable devices of 164 participants was collected and, through this information, it was possible to determine the amount of time each participant spent at home and what symptoms worsened.
The results showed that those who spent more time at home, for 2 weeks, presented. Likewise, that elderly participants with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) spent more time at home during the two weeks before experiencing symptoms.
On the other hand, the association between time spent at home and symptom severity was stronger on weekdays versus weekends.
“Future work will investigate whether changes in home stay can be used to predict relapses in this disorder, which could ultimately provide an important approach to monitoring symptom severity in a continuous and informative manner,” mentioned dr. Petroula Laiou, joint author of the study.
Through research, the team of doctors, engineers, bioinformaticians and computer scientists promotes the use of technologies as a tool for measuring, preventing and tracking the symptoms of depression, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis.
The symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD) can vary and its evaluation depends on the information the person provides to the specialist. Remember that if you need help, we are here to listen and guide you. Call us or write to us at 3330333588. Our service is free 24/7.
As we mention in our web series: What it is like to live with… depression, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 300 million people in the world suffer from this condition that is commonly associated with other physical or psychological conditions, low quality of life and suicide.