Mexican mental health app MeMind reduces suicide rate

An artificial intelligence-powered mental health app has helped decrease suicide rates in Mexico’s Yucatán state by 9%. According to Lillian Perlmutter’s report for Rest of World, the MeMind app has connected 10,000 at-risk individuals with mental health resources since 2022. The app uses AI to analyze responses to a 15-minute questionnaire, categorizing users by suicide risk level and monitoring those in high-risk categories. Developed in partnership with the Yucatán government, MeMind now serves 80,000 users. Dr. Enrique Baca from the Autonomous University of Madrid, who helped develop the technology, says the app can detect dishonest answers by tracking response times. While the app has shown promise, healthcare providers note that structural issues like economic stagnation remain underlying causes of depression in the region.