Can AI Bolster Existing Mental Health Practices?

Eugene Klishevich is the Founder and CEO of Moodmate Inc. and an Impact Entrepreneur in AI and HealthTech.

The number of people suffering from mental health is expanding at an unprecedented rate. The prevalence of anxiety and depression alone increased by 25% in the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the World Health Organization. Surveys of psychologists show that the statistic kept going up over the next few years. As the pandemic’s impact and global instability persist, the number of people suffering from mental health issues is projected to increase in the near future.

To meet the rising demand for care, expanding the number of specialists is not enough; it’s also necessary to increase their productivity. AI-powered tools may provide a solution for that. Chatbots and AI assistants hold immense potential to reshape the mental health workforce, assisting therapists in providing more effective therapy.

Boost For Traditional Therapy

AI therapists and chatbots are already covering a significant portion of the demand for mental healthcare, helping people solve anxiety, insomnia and other daily problems. This lets therapists handle more complex cases. In addition, AI-powered software enhances the productivity of human therapy by taking on paperwork and giving patients support between sessions.

AI-Assistants For Therapists

Presently, therapists spend a significant amount of their time on patient cases between sessions, taking notes, analyzing the treatment process and monitoring the patient’s progress. These processes can already be delegated to AI-powered “therapy assistants.” Software can record sessions and make notes on a patient’s mental state, main symptoms and other vital nuances instead of a doctor. Some of these assistants also track patient’s progress, highlighting treatment effectiveness and areas for improvement. By streamlining processes, AI-powered tools can empower mental health professionals to extend their services to more patients.

Patient Support Between Sessions

According to Stephen Schueller, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychology at the University of California, people can benefit most from the blend of traditional therapy with AI tools. For instance, AI-powered digital diaries, with features like sentiment analysis and keyword tracking, encourage users to self-reflect. They help patients provide their therapist with already structured and analyzed thoughts on sessions and maximize their efficiency. Chatbots can also help speed up therapy progress. Full of mood-boosting techniques and tasks, it acts as additional help between sessions and improves the mental state of patients.

A New Level Of Diagnostics

A lot of experts say that these days, mental illness diagnoses are “scientifically meaningless.” Most disorders are found through the symptoms that patients report to their doctors. However, this information can often be incomplete or not entirely correct.

AI-powered solutions can significantly improve the accuracy of mental health diagnoses. It can already analyze brain scans, which aids in the early detection and treatment of pervasive mental health disorders. Mainly, it helps identify potential biomarkers for depression and anxiety. Those disorders are the most common among all mental illnesses worldwide, currently affecting 5% and 4% of the global population, respectively. So, efficiently diagnosing (and, as a result, providing accurate treatment) is one more step forward in the mental health industry.

Tackling Mental Health Issues At Their Root

Artificial intelligence can analyze medical records and patient data, including content shared on social media platforms, credit card spending, GPS data and smartphone metrics. By processing this information, AI-driven software can quickly identify behavioral shifts and determine the need for mental healthcare in its early stages. Several social media platforms, such as Facebook, have already integrated AI-powered tools that can identify concerning posts and assist users. Such technology allows you to advance psychotherapy even more, as the sooner treatment begins, the more quickly and thoroughly the problem can be resolved.

Concerns Toward AI Implementation in Mental Healthcare

Even though AI has many benefits in mental health care, there is still skepticism about its widespread use. The primary issue that has sparked significant debate is data privacy. Mental healthcare requires sharing sensitive and personal details, including medical records, treatment histories and emotional states. The disclosure carries a high risk of stigma and discrimination. Nowadays, laws like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) do not fully apply to third-party health apps, meaning they can share patient data without legitimate risks.

Nevertheless, the data privacy issue is not so much with the companies as it is with the users. Many people get mental health aid from the most famous general AI chatbots. As those tools weren’t actually created for therapy, they do a poor job in terms of psychology. Second, they don’t have appropriate data protection. Tools that are actually tailored for therapy are more sensitive and cautious about privacy issues, so using them should be more secure.

Except for data privacy, some concerns aren’t so easy to explain. Dr. Ledia Lazeri, Regional Advisor for Mental Health at the World Health Organization, reports that there are “significant gaps” in understanding AI-powered tools. The WHO also states that “AI often involves complex use of statistics, mathematical approaches and high-dimensional data that could lead to bias, inaccurate interpretation of results and over-optimism of AI performance if it is not adequately handled.” That means that, in some cases, it can lead to wrong decisions regarding diagnostics or treatment advice.

However, we should discuss not only the cost of providing care in terms of risks but also the cost of not providing care at all. We should compare how much harm communities and nations experience by not providing mental health treatment with the few errors of AI services.

The combination of AI and human resources can greatly evolve mental health care, significantly enhancing productivity, improving diagnostic accuracy and providing continuous patient support.

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