Linguistic Red Flags from Facebook Posts Can Predict Future Depression Diagnoses
Penn Today
October 15, 2018
April 08, 2026
Penn and Stony Brook researchers showed that Facebook language — including hostile content, expressions of loneliness, and elevated first-person pronouns — can predict depression up to three months before a formal medical diagnosis, matching the accuracy of clinical screening tools. The study analyzed 524,000+ Facebook posts from ~700 emergency department patients who also shared their medical records. Featured: Lyle Ungar.