Researchers: Your way of speaking can reveal depression

The flow of speech and tone were altered

All the subjects had to do was open their mouths and speak. Then, by assessing speed, tone of voice, number of pauses in the flow of speech, and intensity, the researchers could assess which subjects would show the most signs of depression in subsequent tests.

Science has long known that people with depression speak differently.

The rate of speech changes as well as the tone and manner of expression. The purpose of the new study was to test whether a special audio tool could be used to track these differences and analyze whether a person was moving in the direction of depression.

Audio recordings recorded the differences

The trial involved 118 undergraduate students with no clinical diagnosis of depression. First, their mental abilities were tested in a test, where they had to solve a specific problem in the shortest possible time. Then any signs of depression were assessed on the basis of a special scale. Finally, audio recordings were made of each subject individually as they spoke.

All participants were asked to talk for one minute about something positive in their lives and then for one minute about something negative. The recordings were then analyzed to find specific vocal cues, word counts and the number of words the subject used in each speaking syllable before pausing.

An important step towards a better diagnosis

The researchers noted that 25 of the test subjects scored high enough on a depression scale to be relevant to the investigation of whether they had clinical depression.

All 25 people used more words than those who did not qualify for the diagnosis, and this was true when talking about positive and negative things.

They also showed signs of changes in the way they spoke, tone of voice and some other variables. In addition, people who scored higher on a depression scale took longer to solve the problem they were presented with.

Although there are some weaknesses in their study, according to the research team, they consider it an important step in the right direction towards better and early detection of symptoms of depression. They also point out that it supports existing research, which shows that these changes in speech patterns can be used effectively to track signs of depression.