300 million prescriptions for anti-depressants every year. Suicide is 2nd highest cause of death for under 25 age group.
Most diagnoses made with just one visit to doctor.
There is no blood test or imaging that can be done to diagnose depression. The diagnosis is based on self-reported symptoms, and there is a lot of overlap between different psychiatric issues in terms of the symptoms people experience.
Once a diagnosis has been made, doctors have the same problem in monitoring effects of treatment -- they see the patient at one point in time and have to judge whether they are better or worse.
Design a way to collect data from existing patients. Design a tool to help physicians make better diagnosis. Help non-academic (community) physicians have access to newest methodology.
What about tool for monitoring symptoms, not just for diagnosis?
A child is assessed for a mental healh disorder by analyzing the way he plays a game.
Create a diagnostic tool for physicians who treat patients that are too far away to visit for regular appointments.
Depressed people may not have the ability or motivation to use this tool
Once a tool is developed, patients and doctors have to be convinced to use it. Family doctors' offices could be targeted.
Integrating the tool into existing electronic medical records would make it more attractive to doctors.