Leveraging AI for Mental Health Intervention: Detecting Depression in Youth and Adults

Abstract

The ubiquitous presence of modern technology and the pervasive influence of social media have dramatically reshaped how individuals interact and function globally. With mobile phone usage reported at of the time, digital platforms and emerging technologies are constantly evolving, presenting both beneficial and detrimental impacts on the public. While social media offers numerous positive effects, it is simultaneously associated with negative outcomes that affect the current state of mental health.

In response to the growing mental health crisis, particularly the risk of suicide, Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) models are being deployed to detect depression in both youth and adults. The inherent strength of ML models lies in their capacity to learn from large-dimensional datasets, enabling them to identify complex, useful patterns within vast amounts of data to facilitate intelligent decision-making. This research is fundamentally motivated by the need to inform future studies and interventions aimed at comprehending the manifestation and impact of depression on the mental well-being of young people and adults.