Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MindGuide (MindGuide – Improving the Mental Health of Adolescents with digitized screening process and feedback loop optimisation)
Reporting period: 2023-07-01 to 2024-03-31
MindGuide, developed by Zamax d.o.o. is an innovative chatbot platform designed to identify and address mental health issues among teenagers aged 13 to 21. The project emerged in response to the growing mental health challenges faced by this demographic, which often go unnoticed in traditional healthcare and educational settings. The main objective of MindGuide is to provide a confidential, accessible, and immediate resource for teenagers to discuss their mental health concerns. Through AI-driven conversations, the platform analyzes users' mental states and offers tailored recommendations for professional help. MindGuide aims to bridge the gap between needing support and receiving it, significantly impacting early intervention and prevention in mental health.
Throughout the grant period, significant progress was made in enhancing the AI capabilities of the MindGuide chatbot. This includes the development of a sophisticated feedback loop that analyzes interaction data to continuously improve response accuracy and relevance. Our team successfully expanded our reach through both direct-to-consumer channels on social media and business-to-consumer relationships with schools. We partnered with 43 schools, which provided access to a large pool of our target group, allowing for extensive real-world application and testing. This engagement has been pivotal in refining the chatbot’s algorithms and ensuring the platform remains sensitive to the evolving needs of its users.
MindGuide has advanced beyond traditional mental health platforms by utilizing real-time conversational AI to provide immediate feedback and support. This technology not only enhances the user experience but also provides effective triage support for mental health institutions that often struggle with long waiting times and complex patient onboarding processes. By efficiently categorizing and directing users to appropriate mental health resources, MindGuide helps streamline the initial consultation phase, enabling quicker and more accurate care delivery. The integration of a feedback loop allows for the continuous enhancement of the chatbot’s diagnostic and referral accuracy. Results from the project have shown improved detection rates of mental health issues and increased user engagement, particularly among teenagers. To ensure further uptake and success, ongoing efforts will focus on expanding our reach through additional social media platforms, enhancing our AI algorithms, and securing partnerships with more mental health professionals and organizations. Future research will also explore the effectiveness of different intervention strategies delivered through the chatbot.