Rehab facilities may be able to help individuals overcome depression. However, the disease can be extremely difficult to diagnose, and many people are unaware that they meet the criteria for diagnosis. Therefore, a group of Australian scientists has proposed using information technology to help doctors determine whether or not a patient has the condition.

Depression is a growing problem in all corners of the world. The World Health Organization has estimated that it will become the leading cause of disability in the world by the year 2020. However, doctors have lacked a reliable tool to diagnose the condition.

For this reason, investigators from the Curtin University of Technology in Perth, Australia have proposed using information technology to examine a patient's medical records for trends and patterns that may indicate the presence of depression.

The researchers said that, unlike traditional pandemics, such as swine flu or HIV, there is no specific pathogen responsible for depression. This makes detection of the mental illness all the more difficult. However, they believe that the computing power currently available may help make the signs of depression more clear to doctors.