Tech entrepreneur, Esha Oberoi, was today named one of the top 15 must-follow thought leaders in Australia driving meaningful conversations about mental health.   

The Top Voices list was announced by LinkedIn in the lead up to R U OK? Day on September 8, and the honourees include the NSW Mental Health Deputy Commissioner, Daniel Angus, and Beyond Blue CEO, Georgie Harman.

Oberoi is just one of two tech innovators on the list, having recently incepted Leora.AI, a start-up on a mission to solve the world’s mental health crisis through a chatbot powered by artificial intelligence.

“I really believe that AI can make clinical care delivery more efficient for both users and therapists. If done well, machine learning can help in identifying patterns and trends in a person’s communication.”

“Coupled with data insights and cognitive behavioural therapy techniques, technology can help us move from a reactive mental healthcare system to a much more preventative approach,” said Oberoi.

“There is already early research that shows 89% of mental health executives in the US say that AI chatbots make it easier for patients to access mental health treatment.”

“In Australia, we have a maldistribution of therapists in metro cities when 27% of the population live in regional or rural areas. It’s no wonder waiting time to see a therapist can sometimes exceed 12 months, or that we might be prematurely prescribing 1 in 7 Australians with anti-depressants.”

“We can use technology for good. Tech like Leora can help us scale accessible support. As I build towards this future, I’m incredibly honoured to be recognised as a top voice of mental health.”

Oberoi has previously been open about her personal struggles with depression when she founded and scaled the award-wining healthcare business, Afea Care Services.

Leora.AI is in pre-seed stage and geared for a soft launch in October to align with mental health awareness month with trialling the webchat platform among companies looking to extend EAP services.