New Study Shows AI Can Detect Distress in Hospital Workers
A groundbreaking study has revealed that artificial intelligence (AI) can effectively detect distress in hospital workers during therapy sessions. The study, led by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, utilized a technique called natural language processing (NLP) to analyze transcripts from over 800 healthcare workers who sought psychotherapy during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The results showed that healthcare workers who discussed topics such as working on the hospital floor, lack of sleep, and mood issues were more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety and depression. Interestingly, this heightened risk was not observed in workers from other fields who discussed the pandemic or their jobs.
The findings highlight the unique challenges faced by healthcare workers during the pandemic, including overwhelming workloads, limited rest, and increased risk of infection. The study authors believe that NLP may become an effective screening tool for detecting and tracking mental health symptoms like anxiety and depression.
In the future, this AI technology could be used to provide healthcare workers with a confidential way to record their responses to brief questions. These responses could then be analyzed to calculate the risk of developing mental health conditions, and healthcare workers could be prompted to seek help if necessary.
While the study focused on the mental state of patients early in their treatment, future research will explore how therapy topics change over time. The study was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health and received support from various organizations, including Talkspace, a mobile psychotherapy company.
So, what do you think about this exciting new technology? Could AI be the future of mental health screening for healthcare workers? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
IntelliPrompt curated this article: Read the full story at the original source by clicking here