User updates on Facebook could help understand and potentially treat mental health disorders, according to findings of a study published in the medical journal The Lancet Psychiatry. Social networks can even be used in the future to provide support and interventions, especially for young people.
Over a billion people around the world use Facebook daily, and 92% of teens use this site every day to disclose information about their lives and moods. This is why researchers at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom believe that this way of discussing and revealing one’s social life could be used to provide data allowing to deepen the understanding of the appearance from the first years of the mental illness.
Detect and treat mental disorders with Facebook
“Facebook is very popular and could provide us with a wealth of data to improve our knowledge of mental health disorders such as depression and the schizophrenia“says Dr. Becky Inkster, researcher in the Department of Psychiatry and author of the study.” Its reach is particularly broad, allowing us to reach traditionally hard-to-reach groups, such as homeless youth, immigrants, people with mental health problems and the elderly. “
But Facebook could also be used as a therapeutic tool. “Facebook relationships can help those who have lowered their self-esteem and provide companionship for people who are socially isolated,” says Dr. Becky Inkster.
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