Accompanying Depression with FINE - A Smartphone-Based Approach

Area of Science:

• Digital mental health and computational psychiatry.
• Mobile health (mHealth) interventions for mental health diagnostics.

Background:

• Major depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide, necessitating early identification and intervention.
• Objective and efficient depression screening methods are crucial for effective treatment.
• Mobile applications offer a promising avenue for mental health support and diagnostics in daily life.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate depression-correlated parameters from self-reports, smartphone usage, and sensor data.
• To design and develop a novel Android application for depression screening.
• To assess the feasibility and user acceptance of the developed application.

Main Methods:

• Exploratory analysis of parameters including self-reports, smartphone usage patterns, and sensor data.
• Development of the Android application 'Fine' based on requirement analysis.
• Feasibility study conducted with a specific target audience to evaluate data recording reliability and user acceptance.

Main Results:

• The 'Fine' app demonstrated reliable recording of most investigated depression-correlated parameters.
• The overall concept of the mobile health application was positively received by the target audience.
• Identified key parameters for potential use in objective depression screening.

Conclusions:

• The developed Android app 'Fine' shows feasibility for reliable data collection in depression screening.
• The positive user acceptance suggests potential for mobile health interventions in mental health.
• Further development is planned to enhance functionalities and tailor the app for depression care.