AI depression screening is being explored in a pilot project involving NIMHANS, IIT Kharagpur and Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi Regional Institute of Mental Health (LGBRIMH), Tezpur. The two-year Human-in-the-loop Evaluation of Assisted Depression Screening (HEADS) project will study how AI can help to identify hidden signs of depression in doctor-patient conversations. Researchers plan to analyse conversations in Kannada, Hindi, Bengali, Assamese and English, focusing on words, emotions and subtle cues that may be missed during translation or clinical assessments. About 4,500 participants, including around 4,000 patients and 500 volunteers, are expected to take part. The system will assess psychiatric terms, distress patterns and mixed-language speech. Researchers will compare AI results with clinical notes and existing screening methods. The tool is intended for clinicians, not direct public use. Researchers will also study accuracy, safety and language or cultural bias before considering wider applications.
AI Depression Screening: New Project to Detect Hidden Signs
