Pervasive Computing Paradigms for Mental Health. 7th International Conference, MindCare 2018, Boston, MA, USA, January 9–10, 2018, Proceedings

Research Article

Investigating Prosodic Accommodation in Clinical Interviews with Depressed Patients

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  • @INPROCEEDINGS{10.1007/978-3-030-01093-5_19,
        author={Brian Vaughan and Carolina Pasquale and Lorna Wilson and Charlie Cullen and Brian Lawlor},
        title={Investigating Prosodic Accommodation in Clinical Interviews with Depressed Patients},
        proceedings={Pervasive Computing Paradigms for Mental Health. 7th International Conference, MindCare 2018,  Boston, MA, USA, January 9--10, 2018, Proceedings},
        proceedings_a={MINDCARE},
        year={2018},
        month={10},
        keywords={Speech analysis Clinical interviews Depression Prosody Accommodation Interaction Vowel-space},
        doi={10.1007/978-3-030-01093-5_19}
    }
    
  • Brian Vaughan
    Carolina Pasquale
    Lorna Wilson
    Charlie Cullen
    Brian Lawlor
    Year: 2018
    Investigating Prosodic Accommodation in Clinical Interviews with Depressed Patients
    MINDCARE
    Springer
    DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-01093-5_19
Brian Vaughan1,*, Carolina Pasquale1, Lorna Wilson2, Charlie Cullen3, Brian Lawlor4
  • 1: Dublin Institute of Technology
  • 2: St. James’s University Hospital Dublin
  • 3: University of the West of Scotland
  • 4: Trinity College Dublin
*Contact email: brian.vaughan@dit.ie

Abstract

Six in-depth clinical interviews, involving six elderly female patients (aged 60+) and one female psychiatrist, were recorded and analysed for a number of prosodic accommodation variables. Our analysis focused on pitch, speaking time, and vowel-space ratio. Findings indicate that there is a dynamic manifestation of prosodic accommodation over the course of the interactions. There is clear adaptation on the part of the psychiatrist, even going so far as to have a reduced vowel-space ratio, mirroring a reduced vowel-space ratio in the depressed patients. Previous research has found a reduced vowel-space ratio to be associated with psychological distress; however, we suggest that it indicates a high level of adaptation on the part of the psychiatrist and needs to be considered when analysing psychiatric clinical interactions.