Artificial intelligence can detect depression via the sound of your voice

India, the sixth most affected country in the world, is estimated to have about 56 million people suffering from depression and 38 million people suffering from anxiety disorders, according to a recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO ).

To help quickly identify depression, scientists have improved a technology that uses artificial intelligence to sift the sound of your voice to determine whether you are depressed or not.

Computer scientists at the University of Alberta in Canada have improved the technology for identifying depression with voice signals.

The study, led by Mashrura Tasnim and Professor Eleni Stroulia, builds on previous research that suggests that the tone of our voice contains information about our mood.

Using standard reference datasets, Tasnim and Stroulia have developed a methodology combining multiple machine learning (ML) algorithms to more accurately recognize depression with the help of acoustic cues.

A realistic scenario is to ensure that users use an application that collects voice samples when they speak naturally.

"The app, run on the phone of the user, will recognize and track mood indicators, such as depression, over time. Just like you have a step counter on your phone you can have a depression indicator based on your voice when using the phone, "said Stroulia.

The WHO considers that depression is the main contributor to global disability. It is also the main contributor to deaths by suicide.

The ultimate goal, said the researchers, is to develop meaningful applications from this technology.

Such a tool could be useful for supporting work with caregivers or helping people reflect on their own mood over time.

"This work, which involves developing more accurate detection in standard reference datasets, is the first step," added Stroulia at the recent presentation of the document at the Canadian Conference on Artificial Intelligence.

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