Vice President/ GM Health, Education and Consumer Industries at Intel Corporation.
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The question was simple: If you or someone you know has been impacted by mental health issues, could you please stand up? Every. Single. Person. Stood up. Including me.
The 350 University of Maryland Xplore Summit attendees—students, administrators, government leaders, investors and successful entrepreneurs—all stood up. It was an inspiring moment during my recent travels, and it solidified my belief that mental health has emerged as a significant challenge that has to be talked about and addressed.
In the past two months, I met with executives from nearly 200 different companies and visited several universities. The topic of mental wellness came up in at least 90% of the discussions. I honestly was shocked. Count me in with the group of people who were out of touch on this growing issue. The ever-increasing mental health issue has gotten bad enough that the education space—along with enterprise businesses from health care to retail—is starting to see it as a top concern.
The impacts of businesses not addressing mental health can have far-reaching implications. Employees are more likely to take sick leave, and untreated mental health conditions can result in higher turnover rates. Productivity goes down, and employee healthcare costs go up. More troubling is sinking employee morale. This low morale is being seen in fields such as nursing today, where both the suicide rates and the resignation rates remain incredibly high. It is not a pretty picture.
Technology, Conflict And Global Pandemics As The Disruptors
I’m a student of history. I can’t help drawing parallels to another time in near history when this level of mental health became a top concern.
We know the Industrial Revolution reshaped the world. The rapid changes brought about by the revolution disrupted traditional social structures and ways of life. People experienced a sense of dislocation and alienation as they struggled to adapt to new norms. Massive outbreaks of cholera and influenza—much like the Covid-19 pandemic—impacted everyone. Wars and regional conflicts threatened social stability.
It is interesting to note that research shows the impact of untreated mental health issues from this time still exists today in and around big industrial centers from the 1800s. The cost of not addressing mental health is not only the people experiencing challenges today; it carries over to future generations.
AI Technologies As A Catalyst For Good
Companies are taking proactive measures to address mental health issues. This includes offering mental health resources and support, implementing flexible work arrangements and promoting a culture of openness and understanding. Some companies have even appointed mental health officers or established employee assistance programs to provide counseling and support services.
But where I see the most significant impact—and hope for change—is the explosion of cutting-edge technologies, especially AI-related ones. We see more apps coming to market incorporating AI, natural language processing and machine learning that provide:
• Data-Driven Insights: The ability to transform unstructured data (such as social media posts, comments or reviews) into structured insights opens avenues for data-driven insights. Algorithms can tailor app content based on analysis of activities, mood patterns and behavior. Personalized recommendations can guide users toward relevant resources, coping strategies and exercises. For example, AI can identify irrational or negative thought patterns and guide how to reframe them. AI-enabled apps can also encourage positive behaviors by sending reminders, setting goals and tracking progress.
• Predictive Analytics: AI-driven chatbots can offer immediate support, answer questions and provide coping strategies. They can simulate conversations with a human therapist and are available 24/7. A therapist chatbot can detect a user’s feelings, engage in conversations, and offer emotional support. AI algorithms can also analyze large datasets to identify patterns and trends in mental health, enabling early intervention and targeted intervention.
• Sentiment Analysis: In addition to data-driven insights, AI algorithms can assess sentiment in user-generated content across social platforms. Apps can detect signs of distress, anxiety or depression by analyzing language patterns. When the app detects concerning language, it can offer crisis resources or connect users with a human counselor.
AI has the potential to offer better, more accessible and personalized solutions for mental health care. However, these apps are not a substitute for professional care, and more work and research are needed to test the safety and efficacy of AI-driven mental health solutions.
Challenges That Need To Be Addressed
The industry needs to move fast yet cautiously in this area, where AI will interact with people in their most emotionally vulnerable state. There is a proliferation of apps on the market, but we need to overcome multiple issues before the apps become part of a quantifiable solution.
• Privacy issues and security are big unknowns. Users need to be confident there are robust security protocols, data collection and sharing practices in place.
• Most apps currently lack clinically validated evidence of efficacy, and apps that have been scientifically evaluated are often unavailable to the public.
• There has been little quality control over the data used to train AI models. We need guardrails to ensure models are unbiased. Culturally sensitive is also essential. The models would be incredibly problematic if chatbots were trained by information and behaviors on social media and the internet.
• There is a wide range of options to navigate, from expert-recommended apps to potentially harmful ones. Not all apps are vetted by mental health experts and may provide inaccurate advice.
We need specialized, well-vetted and tested models in this area. This requires companies, universities and mental health specialists to work together to create these new AI-enhanced solutions. The confluence of science, innovation and inspiration is guaranteed to have an impact.
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