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Today’s question: At what age do most people experience depression for the first time?

News

Voice analysis and mental health

In the past, we’ve talked about the lack of reliable biomarkers for analyzing mental health. For example, if you go to the doctor for a lump in your knee, she will have you take an x-ray and other tests in order to have objective data which she can then use to make a diagnosis. In mental health, however, a diagnosis is made through symptoms instead of through an actual, objective test.

But scientists are trying to change this.

New research has begun to explore the relationship between our voice as a reliable indicator of mental health, or lack thereof. This research has also resulted in apps such as the Mental Fitness app by Sonde, the StressWaves Test by Cigna, and Kintsugi. How does this work?

The premise of voice analysis in mental health is simple: it recognizes that how a person says something is just as important as what they are saying. Along these lines, someone with depression may speak with a reduced pitch, lower voice, and a more flat voice, while those with anxiety may speak more quickly and have difficulties breathing while they speak.

While this line of research shows potential, more research is required to truly understand the efficacy of voice-markers in analyzing mental health.

Other social work-related news

• The death of diagnosis: Can research find a better way to understand mental health?

• Social work students are required to work thousands of hours for free. We demand change.

Research

Blood tests and mental health

A recent study of over 1 million people found that “mental health disorders including depression, schizophrenia, and anorexia show links to biological markers detected in routine blood tests.” For example, the study found that a change in a particular gene may increase the risk for both schizophrenia and the levels of a specific vitamin in the blood. There was also a correlation between depression and white blood cell count.

Of course, correlation does not imply causation. In other words, just because there is a relationship between markers in blood and mental health does not mean that one causes the other. Yet researchers in the study tested for causation and found that there may be a causal relationship between substances in the blood and mental illness.

Similar to using voice to determine mental health, blood analysis shows promise in helping us to discover a true biomarker in the field.

Other reads on research

• Social programs are weak in many states with tough abortion laws

• At what age do people experience depression for the first time?

Reads on policy

• Tackling unfinished business and taking on current challenges: Putting Biden’s mental health proposals in context

• Building a pipeline to address the children’s mental health provider workforce shortage

Answer: The median age at which most people experience their first symptoms is 26. Despite this, most people are first diagnosed around age 31.

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