Artificial intelligence in mental health

Artificial intelligence in mental health refers to the application of artificial intelligence (AI), computational technologies and algorithms to support the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health disorders.^[1][2][3] In the context of mental health, AI is considered a component of digital healthcare, with the objective of improving accessibility and accuracy and addressing the growing prevalence of mental health concerns.^[4] Applications of AI in this field include the identification and diagnosis of mental disorders, analysis of electronic health records, development of personalized treatment plans, and analytics for suicide prevention.^[4][5] There is also research into, and private companies offering, AI therapists which provide talk therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy. Despite its many potential benefits, the implementation of AI in mental healthcare presents significant challenges and ethical considerations, and its adoption remains limited as researchers and practitioners work to address existing barriers.^[4]

Artificial Intelligence is a rapidly booming field with successful advancements in the field of healthcare. It worked its way into mental health starting major developments in diagnosis, prognosis and treatments. Implementing AI in mental health can eliminate the stigma and seriousness of mental health issues globally. The recent grasp on mental health issues has brought out concerning facts like depression, affecting millions of people annually. The current application of AI in mental health does not meet the demand to mitigate global mental health concerns. In this article, ethical concerns such as data privacy and unlawful access to sensitive information will be addressed. The question of whether chatbots are sentient enough to be used as mental health counsellors is also discussed in this paper. ^[6]