Grant: Project Grant

Background and Importance: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in youth (MDD-Y) is a common and recurrent mood disorder, affecting 7-18% of young people. MDD-Y has severe impacts on psychosocial development, family and school functioning, long-term health outcomes, and increases risk of death by suicide. While effective treatment is available, half of affected youth experience relapse or recurrence, hence there is a real need for early detection of mood deterioration to prevent repeating MDD-Y episodes. Goal(s) / Research Aims: The project's main aim is to develop and validate a computer prediction system for MDD-Y relapse and recurrence. Secondary aims include: computerized prediction of when relapse/recurrence will happen, and grouping patterns of illness and recovery over time. Methods / Approaches Expertise: Overall, the study will be four years and participants will be 12-21 years old and will need to have MDD. Mobile phone use is on the rise in youth and gives objective, nearly invisible research data collection. We will collect six kinds of measures: 1) wearable wrist actigraph device and mobile phone sensor data; 2) mobile phone-based assessments in daily life; 3) speech sound data; 4) facial behavior; 5) Electronic Medical Records (EMR) data and 6) routine clinical ratings. Wearable, mobile phone sensor and assessment, speech, face, rating scale and EMR text data will be integrated. Statistical computer programs will be used for analysis and our research group has experience with those methods. We will use the computer programs to develop new insights and support better understanding of the course of MDD over time. Expected Outcomes: Our results will set the stage for a more definitive clinical study - a "clinical trial". A non-invasive, accurate way to predict MDD-Y relapse and recurrence will be a major preventative advance. Moreover, our project will empower youth by actively involving them in the tracking and care of their mental health.