AI Agent for Mental Health

AYA-Innovation

AI Agent for Mental Health

Agentic AI, Culturally and Lingustically Appropriate Human-Augmented AI Agent to address Africa’s mental health crisis

USA and Ethiopia

ETH

For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models

Globally, 1.9 billion children make up 27% of the world’s population, with more than 13% of children and adolescents aged 10–19 living with a diagnosed psychiatric disorder. This represents 89 million boys and 77 million girls. Tragically, nearly 46,000 adolescents in this age group die by suicide each year—approximately one every eleven minutes. The burden of mental health disorders is disproportionately high in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where 80% of people with mental health conditions reside. Despite this, fewer than 1 in 5 individuals in LMICs receive any treatment, and an estimated 90% of those in need of mental health care do not access proper services.

Traditional methods of expanding mental health care in Africa, such as increasing clinician training programs, have proven insufficient to address the scale, urgency, and complexity of demand. Systemic barriers—including brain drain, pervasive stigma, and limited educational infrastructure—further hinder efforts to develop a sustainable and qualified mental health workforce. AYA's Agentic AI can provide a viable solution by integrating advanced autonomous AI systems with strategic human oversight, resulting in a scalable, culturally tailored, and effective mental health solution. By utilizing Speech Emotion Recognition (SER) and Psychiatric Large Language Models (LLMs), Agentic AI can significantly enhance diagnostic accuracy, clinical decision-making, and personalized treatment planning. By providing real-time, data-driven insights directly to frontline health workers, Agentic AI helps manage psychiatric cases more efficiently and reduces the strain on limited human resources in low- and middle-income countries. Once fully operational, this Africa-specific AI agent will employ SER combined with GenAI to engage users in real-time, culturally responsive conversations. It analyzes emotional and psychological cues from brief 15- to 30-second voice samples to deliver immediate, personalized clinical feedback based on symptom severity. Agentic AI could bridge crucial gaps in mental health care accessibility and quality, empowering clinicians to deliver timely and effective care.

AYA is currently piloting Agentic AI technology at Lenegewa, a Women’s Rehabilitation and Job Training Program in Ethiopia. The pilot, in its early stages, aims to demonstrate the viability and effectiveness of Agentic AI in supporting social workers with limited clinical backgrounds who provide services for women with complex trauma. This pilot tests how the technology could be scalable in diverse settings that are rich in culture and language; there are more than 80 different ethnic groups in Ethiopia. Agentic AI has the potential to benefit marginalized populations in low- and middle-income African communities, particularly women, youth, and individuals experiencing trauma, poverty, homelessness, and systemic stigma. These groups often face compounded vulnerability due to increased exposure to violence, economic instability, and societal stigma. The current mental health infrastructure in these regions is severely limited, with a critical shortage of mental health professionals—approximately one psychiatrist per million people in countries like Ethiopia. Agentic AI can address these critical gaps. This scalable, real-time intervention enhances accessibility, reduces delays in diagnosis and treatment, and empowers local healthcare providers by enhancing their diagnostic capabilities and treatment effectiveness. Additionally, the technology facilitates continuous monitoring and proactive mental health care, enabling early intervention.