A recent study has revealed that language models may miss signs of depression in Black people’s Facebook posts. The research, conducted by the University of Pennsylvania and the National Institute on Drug Abuse, found that AI models struggled to predict depression severity for Black people using standard language-based computer models to analyze Facebook posts.
Racial and ethnic nuances in language use
The findings showed that language-based models, which hold promise as personalized, scalable, and affordable tools to screen for mental health disorders, may not accurately detect depression in Black people. Current clinical practices in mental health have not accounted for racial and ethnic nuances, which may lead to inaccurate computer models.
Comparable data and differing relationships
The researchers matched Black and white participants on age and sex to ensure comparable data. They found that the relationship between depression and language use differed between the two groups.