VZ2.1

Mental health and self-care in the context of digital technologies

Principal investigator: doc. Anna Ševčíková, Ph.D., INPSY FSS MU

The research activity focuses on the mental health of adults in the digital age—that is, how people over the age of 18 use technology to care for their mental well-being. This age group is often overlooked in research, even though they watch motivational videos, use meditation apps, and participate in online support communities. The project will first map the experiences of technology users through in-depth interviews. Based on these findings, a large questionnaire survey will be created to monitor the mental health of adults across the Czech Republic over a period of three years. In addition to the current state of mental health, it will also focus on how people cope with stress – with and without the help of technology. The research will also use existing data sets on mental health in the Czech Republic. By combining psychology, epidemiology, and media studies, we will gain a comprehensive view of how digital tools help (or sometimes harm) everyday self-care.

VZ2.2

Longitudinal research into the mental health of the general population

Principal investigator: prof. Tomáš Řiháček, Ph.D., INPSY FSS MU

How do people maintain their mental health in everyday life? And why do the same conditions help one person but not another? This research focuses on the psychological mechanisms that play a role in resilience to stress and in caring for one’s mental well-being – for example, emotion regulation, seeking support from others, or self-acceptance. Instead of relying on one-off measurements, the project aims to capture how these mechanisms change over time and how they interact. One thousand university students, a group considered to be at higher risk, will complete a short questionnaire every day over several months. The collected data will reveal different “functioning types”, which may lead to more effective and more precisely targeted interventions. The research will also produce a new tool for regularly monitoring mental health, which could be applied, for instance, in psychotherapy. The activity is being carried out in collaboration between Masaryk University and Brno University of Technology (BUT).

VZ2.3

Research into behavioral addictions in the context of Czech society

Principal investigator: doc. Lukas Blinka, Ph.D. et Ph.D., INPSY FSS MU

This research activity focuses on so-called behavioral addictions, such as addiction to computer games or compulsive sexual behavior. These forms of addiction have recently been included in the International Classification of Diseases, and with greater knowledge of them comes a growing need to understand their causes, risk factors, and how they develop over time. The project will link various existing data sources from Czechia and abroad and create a systematic overview of the current state of knowledge. At the same time, it will focus on young adults – who are at increased risk of certain forms of addiction – and will monitor how their mental health, emotional regulation, and risk behavior influence each other. Using modern analytical methods, the research will thus bring new insights into what factors can lead to the development of addictions, which ones act as protective factors, and how these insights can be used for early prevention and effective help.

VZ2.4

Opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence in relation to searching for information about health and health risks in adults

Principal investigator: prof. David Šmahel, Ph.D., IRTIS MU

What are the benefits and risks of using artificial intelligence (AI) to search for health information?
This research activity examines how adults in the Czech Republic use AI and digital tools to monitor their own health, while also highlighting potential risks – such as the spread of misinformation or inappropriate advice generated by AI. The project builds on previous research into the possibilities of using AI in the health domain and brings new insights through a combination of survey data and the analysis of real online user behaviour. A subset of respondents will voluntarily provide researchers with their social media data, which will be analysed using machine-learning methods. This approach will make it possible to identify the types of health-related content people actually view, share, or comment on. The research will therefore offer a comprehensive picture of how AI influences everyday health decision-making and provide recommendations for improving health literacy and prevention in the digital environment.

VZ2.5

Automatic summarisation of psychotherapy session content

Principal investigator: Ing. Igor Szőke, Ph.D., VUT

Psychotherapists today often record the course of sessions by hand, which is time-consuming and limits the possibilities for later analysis. Project VZ2.5 aims to use modern technologies for the automatic processing of therapeutic conversations – specifically, audio recordings of sessions. The tools being developed will be able to automatically transcribe speech, distinguish between speakers, and summarise the content of the session, such as therapeutic goals or signs of client progress. This innovation has the potential to significantly streamline the work of psychotherapists while providing them with new insights for better understanding the therapeutic process. The research is being carried out in collaboration between Masaryk University and Brno University of Technology (BUT) and will contribute to the development of DeePsy – an application for monitoring psychotherapy progress. Through the use of machine-learning and natural-language-processing methods, this is one of the first projects in the Czech Republic to connect technology with psychotherapeutic practice in such a practical way.

VZ2.6

Technostress and the individualisation of work through AI assistants

Principal investigator: doc. Martina Rašticová, Ph.D., MENDELU