Case reports

Issue 3 - September 2024

Bridging technology and empathy through artificial intelligence

Enhancing subthreshold mental disorder diagnosis in preventive occupational medicine

Authors

Key words: artificial intelligence, obsessive-compulsive disorder, trauma spectrum
Publication Date: 2024-11-29

Abstract

This case report highlights the experience of a 21-year-old apprentice in a carpentry workshop who developed sub-threshold anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) following a minor workplace injury. After an incident where a wood splinter entered his eye, the patient’s psychological condition worsened, manifesting heightened anxiety, somatizations, and hypochondriacal thoughts, significantly impairing his ability to work. Despite an initial face-to-face medical evaluation, subclinical symptoms went unnoticed, delaying the diagnosis. The introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) into the diagnostic process, via a customized digital system, facilitated the administration of neuropsychological assessments and provided real-time clarification of diagnostic questionnaire items. This AI-assisted approach identified previously unreported symptoms, such as intrusive thoughts, avoidance behaviors, and insomnia, leading to a timely diagnosis of anxiety disorder comorbid with OCD. Early intervention, combining pharmacological treatment (sertraline, clomipramine, and valproic acid) and cognitive-behavioral therapy, rapidly alleviated the patient’s symptoms. This case demonstrates the potential of AI in enhancing diagnostic precision for mental health disorders in occupational settings, reducing stigma, and expediting treatment, thus improving patient outcomes and supporting workplace mental health initiatives.

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Authors

Jonathan Mennucci - SC Medicina del Lavoro, Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, Monza; Dipartimento di Ricerca Traslazionale e delle Nuove Tecnologie in Medicina e Chirurgia, Università di Pisa

Donatella Marazziti - Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine - Psychiatric Unit, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

Giulio Vannini - Swiss Timing, Swiss Timing LTD, Corgémont, Switzerland

Siham Bouanani - Department of Psychiatry, Lucca zone, Azienda USL Toscana Nord Ovest, Pisa

Federico Mucci - Department of Psychiatry, Lucca zone, Azienda USL Toscana Nord Ovest, Pisa

How to Cite
Mennucci, J. ., Marazziti, D., Vannini, G., Bouanani, S., & Mucci, F. (2024). Bridging technology and empathy through artificial intelligence: Enhancing subthreshold mental disorder diagnosis in preventive occupational medicine. Italian Journal of Psychiatry, 10(3). Retrieved from https://www.italianjournalofpsychiatry.it/article/view/692
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