Self-Reported Precipitants of Psychosis, Mania, and Depression: An AI-Assisted Analysis of Reddit

We examined self-reported precipitants of mania, psychosis, and depression on Reddit using AI-assisted code development and automated coding, with blinded human validation. Analyses compared precipitants of mania (n = 337), psychosis (n = 339), and depression (n = 252). Generic stress and sleep disruption were common to mania and psychosis but rare in depression. Cannabis and trauma/abuse/assault were more frequently reported for psychosis, while antidepressants and positive activation/reward were more frequently reported for mania, and self-evaluative thought patterns and social isolation/rejection for depression. Automated and human coding showed strong agreement (κ = 0.82), supporting the feasibility of AI-assisted analysis of perceived psychiatric precipitants.