--- title: "This Startup Says Its App Can Detect Signs of Depression and Anxiety. Experts Aren’t Sure." description: "Mindstrong says its app can analyze your typing and scrolling to find signs of depression and anxiety. But it hasn't shared much data to support that." date: "2018-10-04" modified: "2018-10-04" authors: - name: "Jon Christian" job_title: "Executive Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jonc" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/mindstrong-depression-anxiety-app" categories: - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "anxiety" - "apps" - "mental health" - "mindstrong" - "mit" - "paul dagum" - "the digest" --- # This Startup Says Its App Can Detect Signs of Depression and Anxiety. Experts Aren’t Sure. ![Mindstrong says its app can analyze your typing and scrolling to find signs of depression and anxiety. But it hasn't shared much data to support that.]() *\Image: Getty Images / Emily Cho\* ## Hype Machine Could your fitful typing and scrolling on your phone be a sign that you're suffering from depression or anxiety? The creators of Mindstrong think so. The iOS app employs machine learning technology to scour patients' phone use for "digital biomarkers" the company says can signify [mental health issues](), which could encourage users to seek out a trained professional. The startup has already racked up [tens of millions of dollars]() in funding from backers including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and about a dozen counties in California plan to make Mindstrong available to healthcare providers over the next few years. The problem, according to a [compelling new feature]() by *STAT*: It's unclear whether the algorithm works as advertised, and few of Mindstrong's claims have been subject to rigorous peer review. ## Gold Standard MIT researcher Rosalind Picard, who studies whether information from smartphones can contain clues about users' moods, told *STAT* that her own work leaves her skeptical of Mindstrong's claims. But Mindstrong's founder, Paul Dagum, is quick to fire back at criticism. "We’ve done the validation work against the gold-standard clinical tests for depression, for anxiety, for cognitive decline, whether it’s memory or executive function," he told *STAT*. “We’re confident, we’re already seeing some really exciting results.” ## Proof of Work According to Mindstrong's website, researchers tested the app in five clinical trials, but none have so far made it into peer-review journals. The company has published one [pilot study]() — though it included only 27 participants. Since the app might play a significant role in how doctors treat patients with mental illnesses, health officials might want to consider waiting for the peer-reviewed research on Mindstrong to catch up with the hype. **READ MORE:** [A Startup’s Bold Plan for a Mood-Predicting Smartphone App Is Shadowed by Questions Over Evidence]() \[*STAT*\] ***More on depression:*** **[Long Term Depression Permanently Changes the Brain]()** ## Author I'm responsible for editing, assigning, and scouting at Futurism, as well as occasionally writing for the site. That work involves keeping an eye on a wide range of narratives and issues, but over the past few years I've become increasingly interested in how AI is shaping the future of media, the web, and information itself. My day-to-day often involves collaborating on reporting and commentary projects bylined by my colleagues, but I try to find time to do my own reporting as well; stories I've broken for Futurism have been cited by publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Wired, Ars Technica, New York Magazine, the Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, and more. I grew up in Southern Vermont and attended Vanderbilt University. Prior to Futurism, I contributed to outlets including the Boston Globe, Vice, Wired, Slate, the Atlantic, the Outline, Ars Technica and more, and did stints in farming and food service. I currently live in Brooklyn, New York, and in my free time I enjoy pinball, word games, cycling, running, and music production. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()