Research shows that people with mild mood symptoms have less facial expressiveness, which may help with early detection of the disease.
Psychological distress can leave visible marks on the face, and these subtle changes in the way one expresses oneself can help identify the risk of depression. This is the conclusion of a study carried out at Waseda University in Japan, recently published in the journal Nature science reports.
The researchers analyzed 64 Japanese university students, with an average age of 21. Another group, consisting of 63 raters from the same age group, was recruited to observe the participants. Everyone answered a questionnaire about depressive symptoms and was divided into two groups: healthy individuals and those with mild mood disorders, also called borderline depression.
The volunteers who were going to be analyzed recorded short videos lasting around 10 seconds, presenting themselves in front of the camera. Raters watched this material without audio and assigned subjective scores, indicating whether the person seemed friendly, natural, likeable, nervous or fake, among other impressions. At the same time, they applied an automated facial expression analysis system, based on artificial intelligence, to identify subtle muscle movements.
The results showed that participants with a depressive tendency showed a reduction in positive facial expressions, that is, they were perceived as less expressive, natural and pleasant. Video analyzes also confirmed muscular changes linked to smiling and gaze, often associated with a loss of emotional vitality.
“The article is very interesting because it tries to offer another tool so that we can make an early diagnosis, preventing the disease from progressing. But it is a difficult method to apply at the moment, because few places have this technology”, estimates psychiatrist Ricardo Feldman, from the Einstein Israelita Hospital.
National study
Similar to the Japanese work, psychiatrist Jennyfer Domingues, a researcher at the State University of Campinas (Unicamp), in interior São Paulo, also studies how verbal and nonverbal communication can reveal signs of emotional suffering and suicide risk. “Our goal is precisely to train health professionals to recognize these subtle signs that often appear before directly addressing the problem,” he says.
According to the researcher, these changes do not, in themselves, represent a diagnosis of depression, but act as warning signs. “In clinical practice, it is possible to see that patients in pain lose the shine in their eyes, speak in a more monotonous voice and show less facial energy, even if they do not report sadness,” he explains. “These are signs that deserve attention, especially when associated with other symptoms, such as loss of pleasure, difficulty sleeping and hopelessness,” he explains.
Feldman reiterates that observation of expressions should be considered part of an integral assessment. “The analysis of facial expressions complements other elements essential to the diagnosis of the disease, such as anamnesis and physical, psychological and additional examinations when necessary,” he emphasizes.
In addition to clinical application, research reinforces the importance of human attention to depressive symptoms. “This study highlights another very important point: we should look at ourselves more, pay more attention to facial expressions, tone of voice and non-verbal language, in addition to showing concern for others, asking them if everything is okay and if they need help, for example. This way we improve relationships and we can notice signs that something is wrong,” concludes Einstein’s doctor.
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