The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Psychotherapy

The Oxford Handbook of Psychotherapy Ethics ◽

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198817338.013.91 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Tania Manríquez Roa ◽

Nikola Biller-Andorno ◽

Manuel Trachsel

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Artificial Intelligence ◽

Mobile Apps ◽

Therapeutic Process ◽

Ethical Guidelines ◽

Access To Treatment ◽

Caring Relationships ◽

Guidelines And Standards

Current developments in artificial intelligence (AI) for mental health have raised important ethical debates around its uses in psychotherapy, including how and under what circumstances AI may be valuable to improve and expand access to psychotherapy. This chapter discusses the use of chatbots and AI tools as supplements to psychotherapy delivered by persons, and as supervised primary treatments. It presents ethical guidelines and standards for AI and mobile apps in mental health, and discusses how these developments are relevant in the ethics of AI in psychotherapy. Current discussions on the role of chatbots and other AI tools for mental health rely mostly on a perspective of justice. The chapter aims to enrich the debate by complementing a perspective of justice with one of care and using both approaches to reflect on the topics of respect of autonomy, access to treatment, non-discrimination, and fulfillment of people’s needs and care. It argues that trustworthy AI tools may help to establish caring relationships between therapist and patient, and contribute to the therapeutic process.

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Postpsychiatry and postmodern psychotherapy: Theoretical and ethical issues in mental health care in a Polish context

Theory & Psychology ◽

10.1177/0959354318802973 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 28 (6) ◽

pp. 780-799 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Radosław Stupak ◽

Krzysztof Dyga

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Ethical Issues ◽

Therapeutic Process ◽

Historical Context ◽

Theoretical Background ◽

Social Contexts ◽

Ethical Challenges ◽

To Come ◽

Key Aspects

The article reconstructs postpsychiatry’s core propositions and briefly describes its theoretical background and assumptions. It also presents chosen aspects of postmodern psychotherapy, which seem to be in many ways similar to postpsychiatry’s ideas. Although they are drawn from different inspiration, postpsychiatry and postmodern psychotherapy seem to come to similar conclusions, especially regarding the role of the patient in the therapeutic process, the meaning of psychiatric diagnosis, and the importance of the institutional, cultural, and social contexts in mental health practice and research. The paper also aims to place postpsychiatry and postmodern psychotherapy in a Polish context, focusing on the ethical challenges faced by psychiatry and showing that some of postpsychiatry’s ideas and solutions to contemporary problems were already present in the Polish psychiatric literature of the 20th century. It also contains a brief description of the Polish social and historical context of psychiatry, as well as key aspects of the Polish legal system that relate to mental health and seem to reflect the nature of biomedical explanations of mental distress. It concludes that the model of psychiatric care postulated by “postmodern” approaches seems more ethical and scientifically and philosophically grounded and promises better treatment results than the “traditional” biomedical model.

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Telepsychiatry and the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Mental Health in Post-COVID-19 India: A Scoping Review on Opportunities

Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1177/0253717620952160 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 42 (5) ◽

pp. 428-434

Author(s):

Thenral M ◽

Arunkumar Annamalai

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Artificial Intelligence ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Scientific Information ◽

Health Seeking ◽

Origin And Evolution ◽

The Status ◽

Seeking Behavior ◽

Potential Applications

Background: COVID-19 has a profound impact on people with existing mental disorders, augmenting the prevailing inequalities in mental health. Methods: In order to understand the status of telepsychiatry in India and the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in mental health and its potential applications, a scoping review was done between March 2020 and May 2020. The literature review revealed 253 papers, which were used to derive the primary framework for analysis. The information was then reviewed for ideas and concepts, which were integrated with evidence from gray literature and categorized under broader themes based on the insights derived. Finally, a thematic framework was developed for discussion to tailor scientific information for decision-makers’ needs. Results: Review findings are summarized under the following headings: changing patterns of health-seeking behavior, origin and evolution of telepsychiatry, possible applications of telepsychiatry and AI, technological features, and AI models in mental health. Conclusions: Though there are several potential opportunities, the time is not yet ripe for telepsychiatry and AI to be adopted fully in the field of mental health care. But it is time that we develop indigenous proprietary technology and test and validate it. With many solutions offered by telepsychiatry and AI, psychiatrists must choose an appropriate tool based on their requirements, availability of resources, and feasibility of deployment. Harmony between conventional care and technology-based care must be reached gradually.

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Artificial intelligence and mobile apps for mental healthcare: a social informatics perspective

Aslib Journal of Information Management ◽

10.1108/ajim-11-2019-0316 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 72 (4) ◽

pp. 509-523

Author(s):

Alyson Gamble

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Artificial Intelligence ◽

Information Science ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Mobile Apps ◽

Mental Healthcare ◽

Science Research ◽

Theory Approach ◽

Social Informatics ◽

Content Type

PurposeFor decades, artificial intelligence (AI) has been utilized within the field of mental healthcare. This paper aims to examine AI chatbots, specifically as offered through mobile applications for mental healthcare (MHapps), with attention to the social implications of these technologies. For example, AI chatbots in MHapps are programmed with therapeutic techniques to assist people with anxiety and depression, but the promise of this technology is tempered by concerns about the apps' efficacy, privacy, safety and security.Design/methodology/approachUtilizing a social informatics perspective, a literature review covering MHapps, with a focus on AI chatbots was conducted from the period of January–April 2019. A borrowed theory approach pairing information science and social work was applied to analyze the literature.FindingsRising needs for mental healthcare, combined with expanding technological developments, indicate continued growth of MHapps and chatbots. While an AI chatbot may provide a person with a place to access tools and a forum to discuss issues, as well as a way to track moods and increase mental health literacy, AI is not a replacement for a therapist or other mental health clinician. Ultimately, if AI chatbots and other MHapps are to have a positive impact, they must be regulated, and society must avoid techno-fundamentalism in relation to AI for mental health.Originality/valueThis study adds to a small but growing body of information science research into the role of AI in the support of mental health.

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Role of Spirituality in Mental Health Practice

Indian Journal of Psychiatric Social Work ◽

10.29120/ijpsw.2017.v8.i1.8 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 44

Author(s):

Narendra Kumar Singh ◽

D Ram ◽

Nishant Goyal ◽

Justin Raj PC

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Therapeutic Process ◽

Well Being ◽

Mental Health Clinicians ◽

Mental Health And Illness ◽

Positive Coping ◽

The People ◽

Distress Level ◽

Health And Illness

Most modern medical disciplines adopt biomedical and positivistic corners while viewing and interpreting various events and phenomena related to living and physical worlds. But in case of mental health the dimension is much complicated and full of abstract elements and relativism; all these areas can be expressed or enumerated what can be possible in other steams of physical and biological sciences. Factors like socio-cultural and human factors, spirituality and religiosity have some definite association with various aspects of mental health and illness. Spirituality in recent times has been entertained as a major factor in determining the course of mental health and illness; it drew the attention of mental health clinicians and researchers to find out its temporal relationship with mental illness and psychological wellbeing. Many authentic literatures came up with the view that positive spirituality does have some potentialities to enhance as well as protect the positive mental health and psychological well-being of the people. Spirituality can also lower the distress level and increase the positive coping ability of people. The aim of this article is to explore the role of spirituality in psychiatry in terms of evolution of psychopathology, understanding of the illness and finally, its role in treatment of the psychiatric settings. This article also aims to sensitize mental health clinicians to remain positive towards the religious and spiritual beliefs of patients and to use those things in the therapeutic process. Keywords: Spirituality, mental health, psychiatry, psychopathology

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Artificially intelligent mobile apps for mental health: A scoping review of randomised controlled trials and cohort studies (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.29065 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Madison Milne-Ives ◽

Emma Selby ◽

Becky Inkster ◽

Edward Meinert

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Artificial Intelligence ◽

Cohort Studies ◽

Randomised Controlled Trials ◽

Mobile Apps ◽

Health Needs ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Mental Health Needs ◽

Health Apps ◽

Randomised Controlled

BACKGROUND Mental health conditions can have significant negative impacts on wellbeing and healthcare systems. Despite their high prevalence worldwide, there is still insufficient recognition and accessible treatments. Many mobile apps are available to the general population that aim to support mental health needs; however, there is limited evidence of their effectiveness. Mobile apps for mental health are beginning to incorporate artificial intelligence and there is a need for an overview of the state of the literature on these apps. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this scoping review is to provide an overview of the current research landscape and knowledge gaps regarding the use of artificial intelligence in mobile health apps for mental health. METHODS The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) and Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcome, and Study (PICOS) frameworks were used to structure the review and the search. PubMed was systematically searched for randomised controlled trials and cohort studies published in English since 2014 that evaluate artificial intelligence-enabled mobile apps for mental health support. Two reviewers collaboratively screened references, selected studies for inclusion based on the eligibility criteria, and extracted the data, which were synthesised in a descriptive analysis. RESULTS 1,022 studies were identified in the initial search and 6 were included in the final review. The mobile apps investigated incorporated artificial intelligence for a variety of purposes (risk prediction, classification, and personalisation) and aimed to address a wide range of mental health needs (including developmental disabilities, depression, stress, and suicide risk). The studies’ characteristics also varied in terms of methods, sample size, and study duration. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the studies demonstrated the feasibility of using artificial intelligence to support mental health apps, but the early stages of the research and weaknesses in the study designs highlight the need for more research into artificial intelligence-enabled mental health apps and stronger evidence of their effectiveness. This research is essential and urgent, considering the easy availability of these artificial intelligence-enabled mental health apps to a large population.

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The Role of Religious Professionals in Ethical Decision Making in Mental Health

10.1093/med/9780190681968.003.0007 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Nancy C. Kehoe

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Professionals ◽

Ethical Decision Making ◽

Ethical Dilemmas ◽

Health Issues ◽

Ethical Guidelines ◽

Faith Tradition ◽

Religious Professionals ◽

Ongoing Formation

The term religious professional refers to men and women who are recognized by a faith tradition as leaders and teachers within the tradition. In their respective ministries, religious professionals encounter many issues, including ethical dilemmas related to mental health, but their preparation to deal with these issues varies greatly. Ethical guidelines for religious professionals are in most denominations less specific than the ethical guidelines proposed for mental health professionals. Although the guidelines for religious professionals stress the need for competence and ongoing formation, few are very specific in regard to mental health issues. A review of the literature highlights how little attention has been given to this subject. Case studies are presented that illustrate the complexity of the role of the faith leader in ethical dilemmas and suggest the need for more attention to this topic in the formation of religious professionals.

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