JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Digital phenotyping has seen an increase in application across clinical research broadly, however, little research has targeted passive assessment approaches to suicide risk detection. There is significant potential of a novel form of digital phenotyping, termed screenomics.

Objective:

This paper focuses on a comprehensive case review of two participants, detailing their passive (i.e., obtained via screenomics screenshot capture) and active (i.e., obtained via EMA) risk profiles that culminated in suicidal crises and subsequent psychiatric hospitalization. Through this analysis, we shed light on the timescale of risk processes as they unfold prior to hospitalization, as well as introduce the novel application of screenomics within the field of suicide research.

Methods:

To underscore the potential benefits of screenomics in comprehending suicide risk, the analysis concentrates on a specific type of data gleaned from screenshots—text—captured prior to hospitalization, alongside self-reported EMA responses. More specifically, we focus on the following types of response / use patterns: general, risk factors relevant to theoretical and empirical work on suicide risk, those directly relevant to suicidality, and social content as derived from screenshots.

Results:

Our analysis revealed several key findings. First, there was a notable decrease in EMA compliance prior to hospitalization, which contrasted with an overall increase in phone usage leading up to hospitalization, particularly marked by heightened social use. Additionally, screenomics captured prominent precipitating factors in each instance of suicidal crisis that were not detected via self-report.

Conclusions:

Our preliminary findings underscore the potential of passively collected data in understanding and predicting suicidal crises. The vast number of screenshots from each participant offers a granular look into their daily digital interactions, which, when combined with EMA assessments, provides a more comprehensive view of an individual's psychological processes in the time leading up to a suicidal crisis.