Building a Global, Grassroots Mental Health Data System: Linking Lived Experience with Open Science

• In Event: Area XII. Diversity and Inclusion - Mental Health Issues

Abstract

The global mental health crisis continues to grow, yet dominant research models remain medicalized, symptom-focused, and disconnected from diverse communities. With 19% of people, 23% of women, and 50% of young adults (18–30) experiencing clinically significant anxiety or depression, there is an urgent need for transformative, grassroots-driven solutions that focus on thriving and flourishing, not just symptom reduction.
This project takes a data discovery approach to uncover patterns that traditional datasets miss. We are piloting studies across prisons, middle schools, and home-insecure populations, linking data across systems to develop a real-time reporting tool that provides feedback to grassroots community partners while building a global, open-science dataset. A population-level norming study further strengthens the reliability of this approach. At its core, this work integrates Innate Health, a transformative learning-based intervention led by community practitioners rather than clinical experts, with consistent findings across systems. Our interdisciplinary team spans psychology, data science, sociology, and public health, with active co-development from an international network of practitioners. More than research, this is about shifting the field. By embedding and amplifying grassroots knowledge in real time, we are building a new, inclusive mental health data system—scalable, open, and grounded in lived experience.

Authors

• Jeanne Catherine-Gray, Innate Health Research

• Anita McGinty, Innate Health Research