ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly being applied in mental health services to provide improved diagnosis, treatment, and support. This systematic review article aims to explore the current literature on the use of AI in mental health services, focusing on the effectiveness of AI-based interventions and the ethical considerations surrounding their use. The databases PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science were explored for articles published between 2015 and 2022 using the following search terms: “Artificial Intelligence”, “Mental Health”, “Intervention”, and “Ethics”. A search based on inclusion and exclusion criteria ended up with 50 articles highlighting the potential of AI to enhance the efficiency and accessibility of mental health services. Further deliberation excluded 30 articles and the present systematic review has been carried out with twenty articles.  The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines resulted in stating the results of this systematic review. The results suggest that AI-based interventions have promising outcomes for improving the diagnosis and treatment of disorders related to mental health, early detection and prevention of mental disorders, improved quality of care as well as reduced cost of mental health services. However, ethical considerations, such as privacy and transparency, must be considered in the implementation of AI in mental health services, and issues related to empathy and reflective practices were also highlighted. Implications and future directions for the research were also discussed.