Supportive Fintech for Individuals with Bipolar Disorder
Research Poster Social & Behavioral Sciences 2025 Graduate ExhibitionPresentation by Jeff Brozena
Exhibition Number 44
Abstract
Financial stability is a key challenge for individuals living with bipolar disorder (BD). Symptomatic periods in BD are associated with poor financial decision-making, contributing to a negative cycle of worsening symptoms and an increased risk of bankruptcy. There has been an increased focus on designing supportive financial technologies (fintech) to address varying and intermittent needs across different stages of BD. However, little is known about this population’s expectations and privacy preferences related to financial data sharing for longitudinal care management. To address this knowledge gap, we have deployed a factorial vignette survey using the Contextual Integrity framework. Our data from individuals with BD (N=480) shows that they are open to sharing financial data for long term care management. We have also identified significant differences in sharing preferences across age, gender, and diagnostic subtype. We discuss the implications of these findings in designing equitable fintech to support this marginalized community.
Importance
This project will establish a preliminary evidence base regarding the feasibility and acceptance of using privacy-preserving financial activity data as an objective behavioral marker in BD. Specifically, the project will i) identify and address privacy concerns; ii) develop a cross-platform prototype to collect financial activity and symptom data; and iii) develop and evaluate privacy-preserving machine learning models to detect early-warning signs in BD from financial activity data. Given the strong association between BD and financial instability, this project will provide crucial insights regarding potential assessment and intervention tools to support financial stability and overall wellbeing in BD, including for those living in remote and rural areas.