A Quantum of Solace: Digital Traces and Mental Health

Abstract

What does the Higgs Boson have to do with measuring the digital traces of mental health phenomena, such as depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts or behaviors? As it turns out, plenty. In this session, we will explore a useful metaphor for understanding physicists? discovery of the Higgs Boson after many decades. We examine the implications of this metaphor as a tool to develop a conceptual framework for the study of digital biomarkers, particularly with respect to those digital traces (and absences) that may reflect the range of biological, psychological, and social dimensions in mental health. However, even beyond the narrow confines of mental health, this conceptual framework underscores the need to deeply examine the ways in which we model the health phenomena being studied.