In recent years, the term algorithm has begun to gain relevance and more with the use of social networks, even being used frequently by people who do not master programming languages, it is a tool with so many functions that even now they have created one to detect depression in people through social networks.
The algorithm consists of a group of specific instructions that allow us to obtain information about something, they are also capable of deducing or obtaining results, so now a group of psychologists from the University of Catalonia has set to work to find depression, anxiety among other mental disorders.
Surely, even if we have not studied mental health issues, we can detect when we are going to be sad or happy, all this entails a series of patterns to follow, some of them are repetitive that a mathematical operation could easily solve, so this group of Psychologists has determined that the use of social networks says a lot about a person, their behavior, social circle, places they visit and everything can be analyzed.
So employing an algorithm that they have developed, they can detect depression, but how does it work? It has a model based on behavioral needs that according to William Glasser are: belonging, freedom, fun, survival, and power.
Its operation is based on analyzing images, which it later compares, as well as reading comments and publications, to begin an analysis of the case. During their research, they realized that Hispanic people are the ones who express their problems the most.
Thanks to this tool, depression can be prevented, and it also allows anticipating it due to all the analyzes it is capable of doing, as well as other types of mental illness.
Finally, this is a tool that could help many people avoid falling into depression or supporting themselves when they already have it, the analysis it performs is very broad and deep, in addition to being supported by professionals in the field of mental health, it is not yet known know how it will be or if it will reach its public implementation, but the development is there and every time it gets improvements.