Applications of Artificial Intelligence to Support the Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prognosis of Mental Disorders

This theoretical short course aims to present the main challenges and trends in ArtificialIntelligence applications to support the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of mental dis-orders. First, we approach the fundamental concepts of mental disorders that affect thegeneral population the most — depressive disorders and anxiety disorders, with particularemphasis on the former. With this, we hope to provide greater visibility and knowledge tocomputing professionals about mental disorders’ psychiatric and psychological aspects.Additionally, we will detail specific AI applications and techniques that support these dis-orders’ diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. Finally, we will discuss the main researchchallenges in this area, such as LGPD regulation and the ethical implications of auto-mated systems that handle sensitive data. By the end of the short course, participantsare expected to (i) understand the fundamentals of depressive disorders and anxiety dis-orders, (ii) know the main AI techniques and model architectures used by applications,(iii) understand the main methodologies of AI applications to deal with both disordersat different stages, (iv) be aware of the research trends in this area, and (v) comprehendthe main ethical and legislative challenges that permeate the research and application ofautomated models to support the mental health field.