Kids Help Phone, a national support line for children and adults in Canada, has announced its collaboration with the Toronto-based Vector Institute to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) in responding to the increasing demand for mental health assistance among young people. The organization aims to use AI to recognize keywords and speech patterns in communication with young individuals seeking help, enabling counsellors to quickly identify their needs and provide tailored support.
Addressing Concerns and Maintaining Human Interaction
Kids Help Phone acknowledges that the term “artificial intelligence” might cause apprehension among users who fear being connected to a computer or chatbot rather than a human. To dispel such concerns, Katherine Hay, President and CEO of the organization, assures that the AI program will always facilitate human-to-human interaction. The AI technology will gather information during conversations, making it available to human counsellors to enhance their engagement with young individuals in need.
Rising Demand during the Pandemic
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kids Help Phone has witnessed a substantial surge in demand for its services. The organization received more than 15 million calls, texts, live chats, and website visits in 2020, compared to approximately 1.9 million in 2019. This unprecedented increase highlights the urgent need to augment their support capabilities.
AI for Triage and Support
Kids Help Phone already utilizes AI technology to assist in triaging texts. Trigger words or phrases indicating severe distress are given priority, ensuring immediate access to a counsellor. Roxana Sultan, Vector’s Chief Data Officer and Vice President of its health division emphasizes treating AI as a tool rather than a substitute for human professionals. The upcoming AI tool will employ natural language processing to identify specific keywords or trigger words linked to various concerns. This functionality will aid counsellors in addressing issues effectively and offering appropriate resources.
Augmenting Support and Constant Evaluation
The AI technology can be trained to recognize words related to particular issues, such as eating disorders or emerging trends causing distress like pandemics, climate change, wildfires, or mass shootings. By flagging relevant information, the AI tool enables counselors to manage conversations more efficiently. However, the collaboration stresses the significance of thorough testing and continuous evaluation by clinicians to ensure the accuracy and effectiveness of the AI tools.
Privacy and Confidentiality
To address privacy concerns, Sultan assures that all data used to train the AI models are de-identified, ensuring anonymity and removing any personally identifiable information. This approach provides the confidentiality of individuals seeking help.
The Growing Role of AI in Mental Health
AI’s integration into mental health services is on the rise across Canada, with applications ranging from speech recognition for diagnosing manic episodes and depression to chatbots facilitating machine-led learning and social media analysis for identifying suicidal ideation trends. Maureen Abbott, a manager at the Mental Health Commission of Canada, emphasizes the need for standardized regulations to govern the use of AI in mental health, keeping pace with its increasing prevalence and impact.
Adapting to Changing Times
As young people’s mental health needs continue to evolve, Kids Help Phone recognizes the importance of embracing technology to provide timely and practical support. By leveraging AI technology, the organization aims to enhance its services while maintaining the crucial human-to-human connection central to its mission.
Kids Help Phone’s partnership with Vector Institute represents a step forward in utilizing AI to meet the rising demand for mental health support. Through responsible and effective implementation, the organization aims to provide targeted assistance to young individuals while ensuring their privacy and fostering a human-centred approach to counselling.