AI in mental health treatment has potential but faces challenges: WHO

A WHO report highlights the potential and challenges of AI in mental health treatment. In a World Health Organization report, artificial intelligence was named as a technology that, through planning and automation, can enhance mental healthcare. It also brought to light several issues with using technology in mental healthcare. According to a news release from the WHO on February 6, the report, "Regional digital health action plan for the WHO European Region 2023-2030," indicated that AI tools might be used to automate huge data and result in advancements in mental health research. In order to understand trends, gaps, opportunities, and problems, it is necessary to evaluate the current status of the application of AI for mental health research. This is because AI is being used in healthcare more and more. David Novillo-Ortiz, PhD, a co-author of the WHO/Europe regional data and digital health advisory. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to significantly improve mental health in a number of ways:

• Mental Health Assessment: AI can assist mental health professionals in diagnosing mental health conditions through natural language processing and machine learning algorithms. This can help to identify symptoms and patterns in patient behavior that might otherwise go unnoticed.
• Therapeutic Interventions: AI-powered chatbots and virtual therapists can provide accessible and affordable mental health support to individuals who may not otherwise seek help. These AI-powered tools can help individuals manage stress, anxiety, and depression through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques and other evidence-based methods.
• Personalized Treatment Plans: AI can help mental health professionals to create personalized treatment plans for patients based on their individual symptoms, medical history, and lifestyle factors.
• Monitoring and Tracking Progress: AI can help mental health professionals to monitor and track a patient's progress over time. This can include tracking changes in mood, sleep patterns, and other factors that can impact mental health.
• Research and Development: AI can also be used to accelerate mental health research and the development of new treatments by analyzing vast amounts of data and identifying new insights and correlations.

It's important to note that while AI has the potential to greatly improve mental health, it should never be considered a replacement for human-led care and therapy. Rather, it should be used as a complementary tool to support and enhance the work of mental health professionals.