Neurodivergence in Sound: Sonification as a Tool for Mental Health Awareness

jats:pThe need to build greater mental health awareness as an important factor in decreasing stigma surrounding individuals with neurodivergent conditions has led to the development of programs and activities that seek to increase mental health awareness. Using a sonification approach with neural activity can effectively convey an individual’s psychological and mental characteristics in a simple and intuitive manner. In this study, we developed a sonification algorithm that alters existing music clips according to fMRI data corresponding to the salience network activity from neurotypical and neurodivergent individuals with schizophrenia. We conducted an evaluation of these sonifications with 24 participants. Results indicate that participants were able to differentiate between sound clips stemming from different neurological conditions and that participants gained increased awareness of schizophrenia through this brief intervention. Findings indicate sonification could be an effective tool in raising mental health awareness and relate neurodivergence to a neurotypical audience.</jats:p>