Project PHONOTYPE: Validation of smartphone-based digital phenotyping markers for detecting amotivation symptoms in young people with depression

Young people with depression who experience loss of interest and motivational drive (amotivation symptoms) respond poorly to first-line depression treatments.

New treatments for amotivation symptoms have emerged (e.g., Positive Affect Therapy), and if delivered to the right young people at the right time, could improve treatment outcomes.

In project PHONOTYPE, will investigate whether digital signals collected from smartphones are useful for identifying young people with amotivation symptoms.

The key goals are to determine whether digital markers converge with self-reported amotivation symptoms in cross-sectional and longitudinal datasets, whether they predict a more severe depressive illness course, and whether they are useful for identifying young people who respond favourably to motivation-targeted treatment.

We will use artificial intelligence (AI) to identify digital signals, using our custom-built AI-enhanced digital phenotyping and clinical trial platform.

Our team of international mental health leaders, lived experience research specialists, and AI experts, will leverage existing richly-phenotyped longitudinal studies of adolescents and clinical trials of young adults with depression (N>7,500).

To establish generalisability and clinical utility, we will conduct two new trials and establish a Digital Phenotyping Databank.

Throughout, we will implement a capacity-building program to ensure lived experience advisors engage as peers across leadership, governance, design, and translation.