Moments of Change: Technology in Mental Healthcare

One of the biggest healthcare problems facing the world today is mental illness. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that by 2030, depression will be leading cause of disease burden worldwide, taking over cardiovascular disease. Yet, for millions across the world, mental healthcare remains inaccessible.

In the “Moments of Change” project, we are exploring how technology can play a role in connecting people in need to mental health professionals. In collaboration with Talklife (opens in new tab), an online mental health community, we have built machine learning models that can identify which conversations are not going well and thus can be highlighted to specialized counsellors. In collaboration with National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS (opens in new tab)) India, we are building an app that can help people better understand their distress and connect to mental health professionals for support.