Classification of Mental Health Care Using the ELM, MLP, and CatBoost Stacking Framework

Abstract

Mental health significantly impacts overall well-being, yet the increasing prevalence of mental health issues presents challenges in their effective classification and treatment. Traditional methods often fail to accurately handle complex, non-linear data, compromising the timeliness and appropriateness of interventions. This study introduces an innovative mental health classification framework, ELM-MLP-CatBoost Stacking, to address these deficiencies. The primary objective is to enhance classification accuracy by integrating three advanced computational techniques: the speed of the Extreme Learning Machine (ELM), the flexibility of the Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) for modeling non-linear data, and the predictive refinement of CatBoost as a meta-model. Our methodology involves a stacking approach where ELM and MLP models serve as base learners with CatBoost integrating their outputs to optimize final predictions. Experimental results demonstrate that the ELM-MLP-CatBoost Stacking framework substantially outperforms traditional models, achieving a notable accuracy of 92.76%, an improvement over the MLP’s 92.64% and the ELM’s 69.59%. This framework enhances the reliability and efficiency of mental health condition classifications and paves the way for further research into advanced diagnostic tools. The novelty of this research lies in the synergistic combination of these models, setting a new standard for accuracy and reliability in mental health diagnostics and establishing a robust foundation for future advancements in the field.