Finetuning Large Language Models for Automated Depression Screening in Nigerian Pidgin English: GENSCORE Pilot Study

Depression is a major contributor to the mental-health burden in Nigeria, yet screening coverage remains limited due to low access to clinicians, stigma, and language barriers. This paper explores finetuning large language models for automated depression screening in Nigerian Pidgin English, providing a foundation for deploying conversational mental-health tools in linguistically diverse, resource-constrained environments. GPT-4.1 achieved the highest performance, demonstrating the potential for AI-mediated depression screening in underserved communities.