Overview
The Wellness App was developed during the UCI Hackathon with the goal of addressing mental health issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. It aims to analyze online sentiment and correlate it with pandemic data to understand regional mental health patterns and provide actionable insights.
By leveraging Twitter data and geospatial analysis, the app identifies correlations between positive sentiment and depression levels across different countries. This project combines data science, sentiment analysis, and interactive visualization to address a globally significant issue.
Problem Statement
"It is normal to feel anxious and stressed during the COVID-19 outbreak. We all have a role to play in protecting the physical and mental health of ourselves and others." — World Health Organization
During the pandemic, mental health took a severe hit worldwide. By analyzing public sentiment through social media data, the app aims to shed light on the factors contributing to mental health issues and how these factors vary across regions.
Methodology
- Exploration: Examined Twitter sentiment and country-level tone variables.
- Correlation: Found a positive correlation between sentiment (positive tone) and depression levels.
- Sentiment Analysis: Analyzed the content of tweets for specific emotional indicators.
- Geospatial Analysis: Linked depression rates to geographical attributes and COVID-19 case/death data.
The analysis revealed that countries with a higher "positive" tone were actually projecting depression—a key insight driving further exploration.
Results
Through geospatial analysis and sentiment modeling, the app identified a strong correlation between "positive tone" in social media posts and higher levels of depression in certain regions. Countries with significant positivity in tone often exhibited underlying mental health challenges, signaling the importance of nuanced sentiment interpretation.
Prototype
The Wellness App includes interactive visualizations that showcase sentiment and mental health trends across regions. The app's interface allows users to explore geospatial data, compare features, and gain insights into mental health patterns influenced by the pandemic.
Slides
Conclusion
The Wellness App combines geospatial analysis, sentiment modeling, and interactive visualization to tackle a crucial mental health challenge exacerbated by the pandemic. By focusing on actionable insights, it offers a scalable approach to understanding and addressing mental health concerns.