Project Summary:
Wisconsin veterans, a marginalized and vulnerable population, face disproportionately high rates of mental health challenges, including PTSD and depression, and often encounter barriers to completing essential mental health treatments. With low adherence to recommended care, these veterans are at greater risk for crises, reduced quality of life, and increased strain on healthcare resources. Addressing these barriers is crucial for advancing health equity and improving long-term outcomes for this priority group in Wisconsin. This project is a long-standing collaboration among Marquette University, the Medical College of Wisconsin, and DryHootch (a veteran support organization based in Wisconsin). We aim to enhance mental health engagement and outcomes for veterans by building on previous research and machine learning models developed in prior studies. We will refine and extend existing predictive models to support an adaptive, AI-driven reminder system tailored to veterans' unique needs. Through participatory design workshops with veterans and peer mentors, we will co-create introspective, socially supportive, and adaptive reminders that personalize prompts based on real-time data, including symptom severity and engagement patterns. This tailored approach will help encourage consistent participation, reduce treatment dropout, and provide timely support. Our approach integrates evidence-based practices with AI-based personalization to deliver relevant mental health reminders. By evaluating the system’s impact on key health indicators, such as adherence and PTSD symptom reduction, we aim to create a sustainable and scalable intervention. This project will address the mental health needs of Wisconsin military veterans, lay the groundwork for expanding personalized support to other underserved populations, and foster greater health equity across Wisconsin.
Community Partners: Department of Computer Science, Marquette University, Great Lakes Dryhootch