Social media analysis has become an important component in harnessing all of the low-cost tracking and monitoring features that are available on social media platforms. While traditional data collection could take months or even years, social media analysis can occur within minutes using minimal human resources directed towards the monitoring and surveillance of health determinants on the Internet. Another important analytical tool that has been developed and improved upon are Internet-based interventions such as application to incorporate data that can track behavior patterns in individual patients. These data tools can be incorporated in the form of applications on mobile devices and smartphones, by using sensors and personal data, to help health professionals monitor and track mental health concerns and behavioral patterns in patients. The use of these tools and application allow health professionals to generate a continuous and passive collection criteria, over a specified period of time that is theoretically free of self-bias on reporting assessments (Peek, 2015).
Depressive disorders present a challenge in public health in terms of mortality, morbidity, cost, and prevalence worldwide (Burns, Begale, Duffecy, Gergle, Karr, Giangrande, & Mohr, 2011).One of the first steps into expanding access to mental health services in a community is generating a strong and well-defined social media campaign. It is through these campaign efforts and resources to generate support during the campaign period, where individuals within the community are able access services and better support systems for an overall better health outcome. As indicated by Egan and Moreno (2011) when addressing non-communicable diseases such as mental health c. .te & Havard, 2015).
Communicable diseases have greatly benefit from the emerging field of infodemiology, and in the future non-communicable diseases will be equally effective for health care professionals in providing better analytical data for tracking and monitor health patterns. Additional the expedition of infodemiology and the incorporation of mobile phone analytical tools for behavioral and mental health concerns have the potential exist to identify those at high risk while providing more comprehensive patient care and in more appropriate time frames. Surveillance using infodemiology, for communicable disease surveillance to generate data from multiple platforms is not new, but how its incorporation can occur into behavioral health for more accurate measurements and insight to risk behavior patterns could be a potential turning point for health determinants.
