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  • Writer's pictureSertis

CURING ‘DEPRESSION’ WITH AI



Depression is a mental illness that affects hundreds of millions of people daily. Symptoms include loss of energy, lack of sleep or too much sleep, difficulty thinking and performing tasks, self-harm or even suicide. Many people believe that depression cannot be cured, but this is not the case. If the person is treated it is possible to recover but, before receiving treatment, patients must be sure that they are depressed. At this point in time, AI (Artificial Intelligence) has progressed dramatically and is being utilized in more and more industries, including the medical industry. Many organizations collaborate to develop AI software to analyse depression, leading to faster and more accurate treatment methods. Results from an experiment showed that people with mental health issues will feel better if they talk about their personal problems to others, people will feel just as relaxed if the person listening is an android. The results of this experiment have led to cooperation between relevant agencies in the development of AI in various ways to analyse, help and advise patients with depression effectively, such as creating androids that can interact like humans and listen to the words of the human in a depressive mood. The AI will be able to detect various signs of depression and anxiety by analysing the tone of the user, such as the use of low tones, repeating words, or the change in tone when telling stories that include words that express symptoms of depression. This will lead to counselling and motivating patients to receive treatment from medical professionals. Additionally, a ‘Chatbot’ is another good option for analysing depression, the chatbot can analyse the user’s choice of words and characteristics to recognize dangerous patterns. For example, if the user uses words such as “Regret,” “Sad,” “Crying,” “Suffering,” “Torture” and “Pain”, this shows that there is a tendency towards depression. Or using words such as “Sick,” “Blood,” or “Injury” would show that the user may have health problems or want to see a doctor. From this initial data analysis, we can teach the Chatbot to provide advice on treatment guidelines or to visit a doctor to treat the symptoms promptly. Recognising the symptoms early on will result in the patients having the opportunity to heal quicker. Chatbots can help to motivate and counsel through behaviour modification by building confidence and re-affirming that depression is a condition that can be cured, as well as other illnesses. An application is another channel that can be developed for communicating with patients correctly and efficiently. Because some words may become a turning point for depressed patients, potentially being interpreted in a negative way. For example, the ‘Predict to Prevent’ application helps suggest appropriate words for communicating with patients by introducing AI and predictive functions onto a mobile keyboard. When users type sentences that might affect the patient’s mind, the system will process and recommend the appropriate words to use (certified by a psychiatrist) that are not harmful to the patient. This will prevent negative interpretations that could lead to self-harm. AI has become increasingly involved in depression, from data collection to diagnostic analysis. Although AI technology helps to assess the risk of depression in users with accuracy, the patient should be treated quickly and correctly from a specialist directly. Therefore, it can be said that AI is another aid that makes the patient aware of the early stages and can be finally cured.



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