Applying Machine Learning to Diagnose Impulse Control Disorders in Youth: Towards a Scalable Study Design

The mental health of children and adolescents is susceptible to being adversely influenced by external stressors and events. A particularly notable example is the COVID-19 pandemic, which has profoundly disrupted the lives of billions of children and families and has been associated with an escalation in mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and stress-related difficulties. As cited by the World Health Organization, there has been a documented 25% increase in the incidence of anxiety and depression. Before the pandemic, German data indicated a considerable prevalence of anxiety (15%) and depressive symptoms (10%), with similar trends observed worldwide. Impulsivity, in addition, is linked to various behavioral problems in childhood and adolescence, potentially resulting in challenges regarding emotional regulation as individuals advance in age. This protocol seeks to examine the interrelations between stress, sleep, and impulsivity in children and adolescents. Hence, herein, we present a methodological protocol designed to systematically collect data across these domains. The presented method uses mixed longitudinal methods to investigate the relationship between sleep, stress, and impulsivity in children, combining questionnaires, specialist evaluations, and data obtained from mobile sensors and speech analysis aimed at detecting impulsivity-related discourse patterns. The data obtained will be used to develop a cost-effective approach involving automatic and structured speech analysis, sleep pattern assessment and stress indicators captured by mobile devices. This will aid in the diagnosis of Impulse Control Disorders (ICD) in children and adolescents and provide valuable information for the diagnosis and implementation of the intervention program. Combining psychological expertise with technological innovation, the project will contribute to fundamental research and the development of digital tools to support young people’s mental health.