Multilingual markers of depression in remotely collected speech samples: A preliminary analysis.

Humans Speech Depressive Disorder, Major / diagnosis Depression Language Individuality

Digital phenotypes In-the-wild Major depressive disorder Speaking rate Speech

Journal

Journal of affective disorders

ISSN: 1573-2517

Titre abrégé: J Affect Disord

Pays: Netherlands

ID NLM: 7906073

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
15 11 2023

Historique:

received: 06 05 2023

revised: 16 08 2023

accepted: 17 08 2023

medline: 22 9 2023

pubmed: 21 8 2023

entrez: 20 8 2023

Statut: ppublish

Résumé

Speech contains neuromuscular, physiological and cognitive components, and so is a potential biomarker of mental disorders. Previous studies indicate that speaking rate and pausing are associated with major depressive disorder (MDD). However, results are inconclusive as many studies are small and underpowered and do not include clinical samples. These studies have also been unilingual and use speech collected in controlled settings. If speech markers are to help understand the onset and progress of MDD, we need to uncover markers that are robust to language and establish the strength of associations in real-world data. We collected speech data in 585 participants with a history of MDD in the United Kingdom, Spain, and Netherlands as part of the RADAR-MDD study. Participants recorded their speech via smartphones every two weeks for 18 months. Linear mixed models were used to estimate the strength of specific markers of depression from a set of 28 speech features. Increased depressive symptoms were associated with speech rate, articulation rate and intensity of speech elicited from a scripted task. These features had consistently stronger effect sizes than pauses. Our findings are derived at the cohort level so may have limited impact on identifying intra-individual speech changes associated with changes in symptom severity. The analysis of features averaged over the entire recording may have underestimated the importance of some features. Participants with more severe depressive symptoms spoke more slowly and quietly. Our findings are from a real-world, multilingual, clinical dataset so represent a step-change in the usefulness of speech as a digital phenotype of MDD.

Sections du résumé

BACKGROUND

METHODS

We collected speech data in 585 participants with a history of MDD in the United Kingdom, Spain, and Netherlands as part of the RADAR-MDD study. Participants recorded their speech via smartphones every two weeks for 18 months. Linear mixed models were used to estimate the strength of specific markers of depression from a set of 28 speech features.

RESULTS

Increased depressive symptoms were associated with speech rate, articulation rate and intensity of speech elicited from a scripted task. These features had consistently stronger effect sizes than pauses.

LIMITATIONS

Our findings are derived at the cohort level so may have limited impact on identifying intra-individual speech changes associated with changes in symptom severity. The analysis of features averaged over the entire recording may have underestimated the importance of some features.

CONCLUSIONS

Participants with more severe depressive symptoms spoke more slowly and quietly. Our findings are from a real-world, multilingual, clinical dataset so represent a step-change in the usefulness of speech as a digital phenotype of MDD.

Identifiants

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.08.097 PMID: 37598722

pubmed: 37598722

pii: S0165-0327(23)01076-5

doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.08.097

pii:

doi:

Types de publication

Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Langues

eng

Sous-ensembles de citation

Pagination

128-136

Subventions

Organisme : Department of Health

Pays : United Kingdom

Informations de copyright

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

Declaration of competing interest The Authors declare no Competing Financial or Non-Financial Interests.