Harnessing AI to improve mental health outcomes
Wearable technology that monitors sleep, physical activity and mental wellbeing is being trialled as a lifesaving new tool to help detect and prevent declines in mental health.
With a fresh grant from The Hospital Research Foundation Group, sponsored by the City of Cockburn, University of WA researcher Dr Michael Kyron will trial the artificial intelligence (AI) technology to improve the detection and prevention of suicidal thoughts among people with mental health concerns.
“My motivation in this research – and beyond – is to ensure that those at risk of suicide are identified early and receive the support they need,” Dr Kyron said.
“We chose to investigate this space because these innovations offer both incredible potential and critical challenges – especially in accuracy, ethical use and long-term impact.”
The project will combine the analysis of wearable technology-based data with regular check-ins to help identify those at risk and provide them with timely support.
With nearly 17% of people experiencing suicidal thoughts at some point in their lives, Dr Kyron was grateful for the funding to help improve mental health in the community.
“Early career researchers often have lots of bold ideas but lack the resources that are critical to turning those ideas into impactful research.
Without this backing, many promising discoveries… may never reach their full potential.”
