AI-Driven Mental Health Profiling: A Feasibility Study of Storyboard-Based Diagnostic Tools for Scalable Psychological Screening in the UK

This feasibility study explores the development of an AI-driven diagnostic tool using storyboard-based narrative techniques to support psychological screening. In response to the UK’s growing mental health crisis and bottlenecks in early diagnosis, the project will pilot an innovative approach that blends clinical logic with interactive visual storytelling to assess key psychological disorders. The study will focus on four conditions: Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and PTSD - chosen to reflect diverse symptom profiles and common presentations in UK mental health services.

A prototype will be co-designed with input from clinicians and tested through focus groups and semi-structured interviews with mental health professionals and service users. The study will evaluate the tool’s usability, perceived diagnostic accuracy, ethical considerations, and scalability in applied settings (e.g. NHS triage, university counselling). Findings will inform the viability of AI-assisted mental health screening tools and provide a roadmap for future development.

The project contributes to digital psychology, applied diagnostics, and equitable access to mental health care. It is aligned with NHS innovation priorities and the British Academy’s interest in emerging technologies in the social sciences.