Scientists develop algorithms that detect people with depression by simply scanning Instagram photos

Scientists in the US say they have created machine learning algorithms that can identify depressed people by scanning for "clues" in Instagram photos. The researchers from the University of Vermont and Harvard University claim their algorithm's detection rate is 70%, adding that it is "more reliable than the 42% success rate of general-practice doctors diagnosing depression in person". "This points toward a new method for early screening of depression and other emerging mental illnesses," says Chris Danforth, of the University of Vermont. The research was done in two stages: the first was about identifying the clues on Instagram photos that suggests the user might be depressed, while the second stage involved teaching the computer to detect those people using machine learning algorithms. The scientists asked for access to the Instagram feed and mental health history of 166 participants, half of whom were reported to have been clinically depressed in the last three years.