Health & Society
Artificial intelligence can predict depression
Mental health problems can often be reflected in the language of sufferers
Researchers at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, are using artificial intelligence to create predictive models of depression and anxiety. These models could help detect these conditions even before clinical diagnosis. The electronic edition of “Medical Express” reported this.
The results of this research were published in “Language Resources and Evaluation”, a magazine.
The first part of the study involves the creation of a database named “SetembroBR”. The database contains information from a Portuguese language text analysis, and a network involving 3,900 Twitter Users who, prior to the study, had said that they were diagnosed or treated for mental problems. The database contains all public posts by these users or about 47 million short texts.
“First, we manually collected and analyzed the tweets from about 19,000 people – the equivalent of the population of a small village or town. We then used two databases – of individuals diagnosed with mental disorders and a randomly chosen control group.
The study collected and analyzed tweets from friends and followers of participants. “These people are attracted each other. They share common interests,” said Paraboni who is also a research scientist at the Center for Artificial Intelligence.
The second phase of this study is still in progress, but preliminary results are available. According to the researchers, it is possible for a person to be predicted to be prone to depression based on only his friends and followers in social networks without analyzing his personal posts.
Prior research has shown that mental health issues are often reflected by the language used by those who suffer. These studies mostly analyzed texts written in English.
Photo by cottonbro studio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/bionic-hand-and-human-hand-finger-pointing-6153354/
Health & Society
Four executed for producing illegal alcohol in Iran
Iranian authorities have executed end of October four people convicted of selling illegal alcohol, which poisoned and killed 17 people last year. More than 190 people who consumed the dangerous drink were hospitalized.
The death sentence against the accused in the case was carried out in the Karaj Central Jail.
According to human rights organizations including Amnesty International, Iran carries out the highest number of executions per year after China.
After the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Tehran banned the production and consumption of alcoholic beverages. Since then, the sale of illegal alcohol on the black market has flourished, leading to mass poisonings. The latest case, reported by Iranian media, has killed around 40 people in northern Iran in recent months.
Only Iran’s recognized Christian minorities, such as the country’s Armenian community, are allowed to produce and consume alcohol, but discreetly and only at home.
Illustrative Photo by Amanda Brady: https://www.pexels.com/photo/elegant-champagne-coupes-in-sunlit-setting-29157921/
Health & Society
What is food neophobia – the fear of trying new dishes
Everyone has heard of anorexia and bulimia. But these eating disorders are far from the only ones.
There are people around the world who can only eat certain colored foods. Still others are addicted to water. About 5% of women between the ages of 15 and 35 are affected by some type of eating disorder. Among them are those with neophobia – the inability to try a new type of food. This problem sometimes also affects young children. For them, experts advise parents not to force them, but to explain to them the benefits of a given product. It is also an option to put them on the table in the company of other children who will set a good example.
Neophobia usually disappears around the age of 6. For some people, however, it remains a problem for much longer.
A possible explanation for this condition could be something happening in the person’s life – like choking on food, for example. As a result, a person may begin to avoid a certain type of food and thus give his phobia a “field of expression”.
The reasons for neophobia may lie not only in the psyche, but also in physical features. This disorder is genetically transmitted.
Illustrative Photo by Chan Walrus: https://www.pexels.com/photo/white-and-brown-cooked-dish-on-white-ceramic-bowls-958545/
Health & Society
How to deal with atychiphobia?
Imagine this: every little mistake or failure doesn’t just bother you, it paralyzes you to the point where you can’t move forward. This is the reality for people suffering from atychiphobia – the fear of failure. While it is natural for many to feel uncomfortable when they do not achieve their goals, for people with this phobia, this fear becomes an insurmountable challenge that affects their daily life and personal growth. But what exactly is atychiphobia and how can we recognize and overcome it?
Atychiphobia manifests as an intense, irrational fear of failure that can affect even the most mundane daily activities. Instead of seeing failure as part of the learning process, people with this phobia point to every mistake as evidence of their own incompetence. This leads to a series of emotional, cognitive and behavioral symptoms that make it difficult to cope with this fear.
What is atychiphobia and how does it manifest itself?
Atychiphobia often begins at an early age, when the child begins to see failure as something that defines his worth. According to a study published in “Advances in Applied Sociology,” many adolescents admit that fear of failure causes them to experience stress, uncertainty, and anxiety. Adults who continue to experience this fear tend to avoid any situation that could lead to failure—whether it’s professional development or personal goals.
Characteristic manifestations of atychiphobia include excessive perfectionism, constant self-criticism and fear of making mistakes. Cognitive distortions are common – people think that any mistake is unforgivable and that they themselves are a failure if they fail at a task. These thoughts often lead to emotional overload, apathy, low self-esteem and fear of external criticism.
Causes of atychiphobia
The development of this irrational fear can be the result of various factors. Some people experience atychiphobia as a result of past negative experiences – be it public humiliation for a mistake or rejection by a loved one. Psychological trauma leaves deep wounds and can cause an individual to associate failure with pain and shame.
Low self-esteem, anxiety disorders, and perfectionism are also common factors that contribute to the development of atychiphobia. In addition, cultural and social expectations of failure-free success can reinforce this fear, especially in competitive environments where failure is stigmatized.
How to deal with atychiphobia?
The first step to overcoming the fear of failure is recognizing the problem and understanding that this fear is common and treatable. It is important to reframe how we perceive failure. Instead of seeing it as the end result, we can see it as a stepping stone to success. Overcoming this fear requires a change in thought patterns – failure is not something that defines us, but something that teaches us and helps us grow.
Therapeutic approaches including cognitive behavioral therapy can be extremely helpful in this process. The therapist can help the sufferer identify and change negative attitudes and develop strategies to deal with anxiety and fear of failure. Additionally, practicing stress management techniques such as meditation and yoga can help reduce anxiety and provide better control over emotions.
Ultimately, atychiphobia can be overcome with time, effort and support. Failure is an inevitable part of life and the greatest lessons often come from mistakes. The important thing is to accept failure as part of the process of personal and professional growth, and to move forward with the confidence that each mistake is just another step on the road to success.
Illustrative Photo by Markus Winkler: https://www.pexels.com/photo/scrabble-letters-spelling-fear-on-a-wooden-table-19902302/
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