Public Wouldn ’t Trust Companies To Scan Social Media Posts For Signs Of Depression, Survey Finds

By guest blogger Jack Barton Since the exposure of Cambridge Analytica in 2018 it is no longer surprising that tech giants are using our information in ways we may not be explicitly aware of. Companies such as Facebook are already using computer algorithms to identify individuals expressing thoughts of suicide and provide targeted support, such as displaying information about mental health services or even contacting first responders. However, the visibility of these features is poor at best — and it remains unclear if the public even wants them in the first place. Now a study in JMIR Mental Health has asked whether the general public would be happy for tech companies to use their social media posts to look for signs of depression. The study found that although the public sees the benefit of using algorithms to identify at-risk individuals, privacy concerns still surround the use of this technology. Dr Elizabeth Ford at Brighton and Sussex Medical School and her colleagues surveyed participants (recruited via mental health charities and many of whom reported depressive symptoms) on their social media use and mental health. They then asked participants about their opinions on a hypothetical situation in which Facebook analysed their social media information to screen for depression, in order to provide targeted mental health care advice or information from charities like the Samaritans. Out of 183 people who completed the survey, just over a fifth felt that their social me...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Facebook Mental health Technology Source Type: blogs