GLOBAL MENTAL HEALTH

PAST - PRESENT - FUTURE

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE & TECHNOLOGY IN MENTAL HEALTHCARE

• Integration of AI into healthcare can dramatically improve the quality of mental healthcare.

• AI is becoming a fundamental part of business and healthcare.

• Andersson and team employ early internet in a novel fashion, adherence proves challenging.

  ‘Emails’ used for mental health care, Trials of 2006

• Regular supervision through technology: The solution for 'treatment adherance' problem, Claims Dr Carlbring, 2006.

• Oxford researchers prove Internet-based cognitive therapy (iBCT) reduces therapist time from 19 hours to 3.8 hours without compromising efficacy.

• Rapee and his team confirm that technology frees time for mental health professionals to deal with intensive interventions.

• Internet-based cognitive therapy (iBCT) can potentially improve 550 million lives worldwide (~7% of the world’s population).

• A 24/7 solution to assess and intervene immediately for patients can revolutionise mental health care, confirms the US Department of Veterans Affairs.

ISOLATION AND LONELINESS

• Isolation and loneliness decrease the likelihood of survival by 50% compared to individuals with stronger social relationships.

• Social Isolation and Loneliness have the same effect as smoking 15 cigarettes daily, confirms Dr Vivek Murthy, US Public Health Service.

• Social Isolation: A significant risk factor for morbidity and mortality in humans for more than a quarter of a century.

• Isolation disrupts thinking abilities, willpower, and immune systems.
  A ground-breaking research by social neuroscientist John T. Cacioppo.

• A lack of social relationships is more dangerous than obesity.
  Flegal and the team confirm.

• UK and Japanese Ministers for Loneliness pledge to tackle loneliness.

• Adolescents attending school virtually reported poorer mental health and an increased likelihood of committing suicide, confirms Dr Ethier and team.

• Potential sources of support for those of any age who now feel isolated are technology-centred, IBM report by Prof. Palmarini and Ms Fraser.

• Digital Therapy: An emerging approach to effective delivery of behavioral therapy, and fundamentally complementary to pharmacotherapy.

• Physical activity may reduce depression.

VIRTUAL HUMANS & STIGMA IN MENTAL HEALTHCARE

• Virtual humans increase their willingness to disclose over real humans.

• Computers increase anonymity but fail to build rapport, unlike humans.

• Facial expressions, gaze, gestures and postures powerfully influence feelings of rapport.

• The absence of a human or human-like agent makes people feel less socially connected during a clinical assessment.

• Greater feelings of rapport lead patients to disclose more personal information.

• Patients hide personal information fearing negative judgement by the healthcare professional.

• Individuals prefer computer-administered assessments when the information is illegal, unethical, or culturally stigmatised.

• Participants felt honest and positive about disclosing suicidal thoughts to a computer-administered assessment.

• ‘Sense of invulnerability to criticism’ and ‘An illusion of privacy’ make individuals respond honestly to a computer.

• Fear of embarrassment prevents individuals from seeking mental health help.

OPTIMISM

• Optimists Live 8 Years Longer than Pessimists.

• Optimists associated with better cardiovascular outcomes, cancer outcomes and mortality.

• Age Groups 20s–30s have the worst levels of Stress, Anxiety and Depression.

• A conscious focus on blessings has emotional and interpersonal benefits.

• Gratitude fosters social support and protects people from stress and depression.

• Counting Blessings: An effective intervention for well-being enhancement in early adolescents.