Digital behavioural data should inform mental health screening

Summary

Digital behavioural data from smartphones, wearables and artificial intelligence-enabled systems are increasingly available alongside mental health screening questionnaires. However, there is limited guidance on when such signals are appropriate for mental health screening contexts and how they should be interpreted without overreach into diagnosis. We outline four principles (detectable change, context, informing timing and sustained utility) to guide how digital data can inform interpretation and follow-up while preserving the role of validated screening instruments.