Identification of Predictors of Mood Disorder Misdiagnosis and Subsequent Help-Seeking Behavior in Individuals With Depressive Symptoms: Gradient-Boosted Tree Machine Learning Approach.

Background: Misdiagnosis and delayed help-seeking cause significant burden for individuals with mood disorders such as major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. Misdiagnosis can lead to inappropriate treatment, while delayed help-seeking can result in more severe symptoms, functional impairment, and poor treatment response. Such challenges are common in individuals with major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder due to the overlap of symptoms with other mental and physical health conditions, as well as, stigma and insufficient understanding of these disorders.