Smartphones could be used to diagnose depression

There are different kinds of usefulness. There’s the convenient kind that makes life a bit easier but isn’t actually that big of a deal, and then there’s the kind that can legitimately help you in an important way. All of those sensors that get packed into smartphones tend to be the former kind, because they do convenient things like sensing when your smartphone is turned sideways. However, a group of researchers may have found a way to make those sensors the latter kind by using them to detect bipolar disorder. With further research, smartphone could one day be used to diagnose things like anxiety disorders and depression, and help the people suffering from them get the help that they need.