Reacción a "A study shows the potential of large language models to detect signs of depression and suicide in patients"

The study aims to measure the ability of artificial intelligence (AI) language models to detect depression and suicide risk. The data analysed comes from the incomplete sentence test, a semi-projective test in which people have to finish sentences that are presented to them, providing subjective information about their self-concept, family, gender perception and interpersonal relationships, for example. The study is being conducted on patients who are already undergoing psychiatric treatment, so it is not possible to generalise its results to apply this methodology to risk detection in the general population at this time.

The assessment of mental health problems lacks objective measures, laboratory data or imaging tests. The possible application of AI in mental health will, in any case, have to focus on people's subjective narratives, as is done in this research. However, it is one thing to detect risks and carry out screening, and quite another to treat people with mental suffering, a task that goes beyond applying a technological solution and in which the subjectivity of the professional is essential for developing the therapeutic bond.