Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning Supporting the Work of a Psychologist and Its Evaluation on the Example of Support for Psychological Diagnosis of Anorexia

Abstract

Objective: This study sought to address the use of computer-aided diagnosis and therapy for anorexia nervosa. This paper presents the means by which the use of natural language processing methods can augment the work of psychologists. Method: We evaluated this method based on its efficacy when diagnosing anorexia nervosa. Using natural language processing and machine learning, we developed methods for analyzing five basic emotions, analyzing a patient’s body perception, and detecting six potential areas of difficulties for computer support of psychological diagnosis of anorexia. We surveyed 43 psychologists to obtain feedback on these tools. Results: We evaluated efficacy in terms of patient relationship, substantive aspects of the diagnosis, and diagnostic procedures. In terms of patient relationship, we found a noticeable decrease in the patient’s resistance and better support in verifying the substantive scope of the diagnostic thesis. Discussion: The presented methods can be a supporting tool for monitoring the diagnostic process and increasing the degree of self-diagnosis and self-reflection by the patient. This tool can increase the accuracy of the diagnostic process by reducing patient resistance. This will increase access to the patient’s psychopathology.

Using Natural Language Processing for a Computer-Aided Rapid Assessment of the Human Condition in Terms of Anorexia Nervosa

“…For the research group, the inclusion criteria involved adolescent individuals (aged 12-19) diagnosed with anorexia by a psychiatrist, with an absence of concurrent psychological disorders and a duration of the disorder up to 3 years. The control group, on the other hand, included participants within the same age range (12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19) without any diagnosed psychological disorders.…”

“…The process involves a thorough assessment of the individual's psychological and behavioral characteristics, including clinical interviews, observations, and questionnaires to gather information on eating behaviors and attitudes toward body, weight, and shape. In this process, therapists may be supported by methods developed based on natural language processing (NLP) [16,17]. Such methods serve as non-invasive tools that only utilize a patient's medical records to detect some psychological traits in an individual patient at the early stage [18].…”

Personality in Just a Few Words: Assessment Using Natural Language Processing

“…Based on these trends, natural language processing (NLP) is becoming increasingly widespread in areas of psychological assessment 20,21 . The hope is that this might be a way to convey a more semantic meaning and that it could more closely represent how people view each other 22 .…”

From Virtual Reality to Regenerative Virtual Therapy: Some Insights from a Systematic Review Exploring Inner Body Perception in Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa

“…SNS expose people to social comparison; when people with EDs contact with their ideal bodies or shapes in SNS (e.g., social media), they are more likely to feel negative emotions that hinder their motivations to make a change toward healthier bodies. In this sense, natural language processing [ 152 , 153 ] could be used to monitor patients undergoing RVT to identify those at risk of suicide [ 154 ], in need of psychological support [ 155 ], as well as to oversee the evolution of symptoms and the severity of the pathology.…”