In a groundbreaking step, Orygen researchers will establish the critical infrastructure needed to deliver personalised mental health care to young people using artificial intelligence (AI) tools, with major new funding from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).
The $3m grant, awarded to the Orygen team led by Dr Dominic Dwyer via the National Critical Research Infrastructure (NCRI) initiative, will fund the ‘Youth AI’ project, providing translational infrastructure that supports the establishment of AI services, software, data linkages, web applications, education and safety monitoring.
This will provide a platform for personalised diagnoses and preventive treatment of youth mental health issues.
Dr Dwyer said the infrastructure would enable the integration of cutting-edge AI technologies into the treatment of youth mental health conditions.
“We have a deepening mental health crisis in Australia – with young people disproportionately affected by mental ill-health,” Dr Dwyer said.
“The Royal Commission into Mental Health identified a huge unmet need driven by a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to treatment, leading to insufficient care, poor outcomes, and long waitlists.
“Modernisation is required, including digitisation and personalisation – and AI has enormous potential for addressing these unmet needs.”
Dr Dwyer said that despite the development of many effective AI tools, there was an ‘AI-chasm’ between research and practice.
“Our work will build a ‘translational bridge’ that creates the systems and infrastructure needed to put these amazing tools into practice,” Dr Dwyer said.
“Youth AI will facilitate the development of world-class AI-assisted youth mental healthcare in Australia.
“Our vision is for young people to receive the best care – tailored to them – when they need it most, supporting early intervention and effective recovery, offering immense benefits to young people, their families and society as a whole.”
Chief of Research and Knowledge Translation at Orygen, Professor Eóin Killackey, said the significant investment was testament to the skills and capabilities of Orygen researchers.
“At Orygen, we're leading the way in digital mental health care, integrating new and emerging technologies like AI and virtual reality into more effective personalised supports for young people,” Professor Killackey said.
“We have over 30 years’ experience delivering landmark projects and infrastructure for youth mental health, and this project will make a significant contribution to integrating cutting-edge new technology into a system in urgent need of modernisation.”
Orygen Executive Director, Professor Patrick McGorry, said he was delighted to see such an important project funded by the MRFF.
“This is wonderful news for one of Orygen’s major research teams, which is breaking new ground in our efforts to arrest the decline in youth mental health,” Professor McGorry said.
“This funding recognises our core business as a translational research organisation with deep clinical roots.
“We know the major impact new technology and AI tools can have in tackling the youth mental health crisis, and this work will provide the supporting structures we need to get those tools into the hands of people who really need them.”
The Youth AI: Infrastructure for the Next Generation of Youth Mental Healthcare project will establish infrastructure (including governance, services, and systems) to implement AI tools into over 170 headspace services in a safe, equitable, and sustainable manner.
The grant is part of the MRFF’s $650 million National Critical Research Infrastructure Initiative and was part of almost $30 million in funding to explore new ways to use AI to improve access to health services across the country.