Benefits for mental health

Depression, stress, anxiety, sleep disorders are symptoms associated with mental health that are often underestimated.

Dealing with mental health disorders can be physically, economically and emotionally demanding, explaining why not everybody who experiences mental health issues seek medical help.

Mental health issues can be detected through voice changes. For instance, people with depression have reduced pitch range and volume, resulting in a more monotone, flatter and softer speech. People with anxiety usually feel more tension, which can reflect on the way they talk. They tend to speak faster and have more difficulty breathing.

The chronic and relapsing nature of many mental health disorders requires long-term monitoring in order to reduce patient’s symptoms, which can be a burden for patients.

With the identification of vocal biomarkers, practitioners will have a more accurate method to monitor these symptoms:

• Monitoring mental health with only daily voice recording on a smartphone may facilitate access to mental healthcare
• It will help the clinicians in identifying patients who may be hesitant to seek care and facilitate self-monitoring between visits
• If medication is prescribed, evaluate its effectiveness in real-life thanks to changes in voice signatures will be possible