Facebook may have a larger use than just seeing what your friends had for dinner, a new program could allow mental health experts to predict suicidal patterns in social media.
The Durkheim Project will analyze the Opt-In data from veteran's social media sites to predict suicides, according to a press release.
The recently launched project will allow mental health professionals to monitor behavioral patterns on social media in order to identify suicidal behavior.
"The study we've begun with our research partners will build a rich knowledge base that eventually could enable timely interventions by mental health professionals," Chris Poulin, the Durkheim Project's Principal Investigator, said.
The project employs applications, available on sites like Facebook and several smartphone devices, that updates relevant information into one large database. The system will only take data from veterans who volunteered to participate in the study. It will analyze algorithms from sites the participants opted to contribute to the study.
"Ensuring data security and confidentiality is essential for building and maintaining trust with our study participants," Poulin said.
The incoming text data will be analyzed with artificial intelligence to pinpoint self-harming patterns.
The program hopes to identify subtly patterns of suicidal behavior, which would be impossible for mental health professionals to pick out and monitor themselves. In the future the team wants to use the project to intervene in those in danger of committing harmful behavior.
"As we build upon the promising findings of our Phase One investigation, the Durkheim team is pleased to have Facebook's partnership in helping us connect with the community of veterans, as Facebook's capability for outreach is unparalleled." Poulin said.
The Facebook staff also sees life-saving potential in the project's future.
"At Facebook, we have a unique opportunity to provide the right resources to our users in distress, when and where they need them most," Joel Kaplan, Facebook's US VP of Public Policy who is a veteran himself, said.
"Through a concerted and coordinated effort on the part of private industry, government, and concerned family and friends, we believe we can make a real difference in preventing suicide and saving lives." Joel Kaplan, Facebook's US VP of Public Policy, " he said.
Patterns and Predictions, and the Veterans Education and Research Association of Northern New England lead the project.
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