As the era of artificial intelligence approaches, it’s important to understand possible uses. Artificial intelligence for mental health has great potential. While it’s no substitute for conventional mental health treatment, harnessing artificial intelligence could improve its future.

But how can using artificial intelligence for mental health disorders improve healthcare? And does artificial intelligence for mental health disorders have any risk? In this post, we’ll review artificial intelligence and its potential for improving mental health treatment.

What is Artificial Intelligence?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a technology that seeks to simulate human intelligence and problem-solving capabilities. AI deciphers patterns in collections of data that a human might struggle to comprehend. AI is often associated with machine learning and deep learning, disciplines in which algorithms are modeled after the decision-making processes of the human brain. 

How can Artificial Intelligence Treat Mental Health Disorders?

AI can treat mental health disorders in many ways. While the technology for mental health treatment is still in development, it is already being used in physical healthcare. AI can facilitate early disease detection, understand disease progression, optimize treatment doses, and uncover novel treatments. 

The adoption of AI in mental healthcare treatment is much slower. Mental health practitioners rely on more subjective data, form relationships with clients, and understand their behavior and emotions, making it more difficult to implement AI.

However, AI has the potential to transform the landscape of clinical practice completely by assisting clinicians in their healthcare administration. AI can organize patient information, schedule appointments, and manage records. 

“AI can free mental health practitioners to focus on the human parts of medicine."

By focusing on administration and data, AI can free mental health practitioners to focus on the human parts of medicine. Plus, AI technology could be harnessed to analyze larger datasets and understand population-level trends regarding mental illness.

As AI technology in mental health continues to develop, it can take on many roles. For example, AI has fueled a suicide alert system on the therapy platform Talkspace, which is also testing AI interventions for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Algorithms can also predict health risks, recommend personalized treatment plans, or even interface with patients as therapeutic chatbots. Woebot, a smartphone application, delivers Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to its users through a chatbot that addresses their problems.

These chatbots have some advantages over traditional healthcare. According to Skip Rizzo, a psychologist, AI therapy tools are tireless, constantly available, contain encyclopedic knowledge of psychological literature, and remember every interaction they’ve had with a client.

Furthermore, digital therapy tools can increase the accessibility of mental healthcare by reducing cost and stigma. People who might not be able to afford mental health care can alleviate some of their issues through therapeutic AI treatments. 

The Risk of Artificial Intelligence in Treating Mental Health Disorders

However, alongside all of this excitement, it is also important to remember that AI is only a treatment tool and cannot replace it. In fact, there are potential, unintended, negative consequences if clinicians prioritize AI over human decision-making. 

For example, AI may not be able to fully address all of the complex mental health problems facing people. It also has the potential to perpetuate pre-existing biases in datasets that can be harmful. Biased datasets may link mental illnesses to certain ethnicities or fail to understand more subjective clinical text data. 

Users may also see AI tools as a replacement for therapy despite the fact that doing so can be harmful. A person in need should still seek out help. In addition, the companies developing these AI tools may not be committed to upholding patient privacy. As AI technology inevitably moves forward and is integrated into healthcare, it is important to stay aware of its risks. 

However, while there will be challenges in its implementation, using artificial intelligence for mental health disorders still promises to be an effective treatment. Ultimately, AI developers, clinicians, and people with mental illness can work together to develop ethical AI that will enhance treatment as a whole.

Find Intelligent Treatment with Never Alone Recovery

Artificial intelligence for mental health has the potential to completely transform the landscape of mental health treatment. However, as it grows in ability and popularity, it is important that AI be implemented ethically. At its best, AI promises to free clinicians to better treat their patients and allow underserved populations to access additional mental healthcare. While it is no substitute for real human treatment, AI can always help.

If you or a loved one is struggling with substance use disorder, Never Alone Recovery can help. Contact us at 844-422-2311 or [email protected] to learn about our online support group and addiction recovery consultants. You may find the Never Alone program that’s right for you.