New AI-Based App Aims to Prevent Suicides Among Veterans
An artificial intelligence-based app that aims to support veterans' mental health and curb suicides has received financial support from the US Department of Veterans Affairs.
Source: Getty Images
By - Developed through a collaboration between the USC Institute for Creative Technologies (USC ICT) and SoldierStrong Foundation, an artificial intelligence (AI)-based app that provides mental health support for veterans received a $1 million grant from the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to continue its efforts of delivering health, wellness, and suicide prevention services.
USC ICT is a US Army University Affiliated Research Center that has focused on basic and applied research in immersive technology, simulation, human performance, computer graphics, AI, mixed reality, and narrative for more than 20 years. SoldierStrong Foundation provides technology and educational opportunities in an effort to improve the lives of veterans and their families.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people with military history account for 13.7 percent of suicides among adults in the US. Further, the VA’s 2022 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report shows that in 2020, the suicide rate for veterans exceeded that of non-veteran adults by 57.3 percent.
To address this issue, USC ICT and SoliderStrong created a mobile application to reduce suicide rates among veterans.
Known as Battle Buddy, the mobile application includes a virtual human companion that uses passive sensing through the phone or wearables like a smartwatch to deliver services related to personalized health, wellness, and suicide prevention.
“Integrating virtual humans with mobile health applications opens up new opportunities to connect with veterans and overcome some of the barriers associated with suicide prevention,” said Sharon Mozgai, project leader and associate director for medical virtual reality at USC ICT, in a press release. “Battle Buddy is a non-judgmental companion, who is available 24/7.”
The Battle Buddy tool has earned $1 million in Phase 2 funding from the VA. The grant is part of Mission Daybreak, the VA's 10-year, $20 million grand challenge that intends to lessen suicide rates among veterans through a comprehensive and public health approach. The Battle Buddy app was among 10 winners chosen from a pool of 1,371.
"We are thrilled to receive this recognition for Battle Buddy and proud of the impact it will have on the veteran community," said Skip Rizzo, director for medical virtual reality at USC ICT, in a press release. "The team worked tirelessly to create a solution that is both effective and accessible, and this prize will help us bring Battle Buddy to those who need it most."
Increasingly, virtual care tools are being used to address mental health issues.
In December 2022, Oregon Health and Science University and Analog Devices, Inc (ADI) partnered to develop a smartwatch device to help identify patients suffering from suicidality or depression amid the youth mental health crisis.
According to a press release, the collaboration will apply previously created ADI technology to collect advanced physiologic data on patients. The wrist-worn device contains an embedded sensor that can calculate heart rate variability (HRV). This capability is critical to determining suicidality because a previous study indicated a correlation between HRV and suicidality in teens.
