Mental Health and Artificial Intelligence

Why Mental Health Is So Important?

        Overall health and well being is heavily influenced by mental health.  Nearly one billion people suffer from mental illness. Mental health status is also fluid over the course of life. How we feel also affects how we interact with others, treat ourselves, make healthful decisions, and handle stress. Mental health status also has implications on physical health. For example, depression can increase risk of diabetes, immune system function, stroke, and heart disease.

        In today's world, the need for mental health resources is urgent, health resources are needed to address those affected. Globally, in addition to great need for mental health services, there is simultaneously a shortage of mental health providers. As we know, AI refers to the concept of computers solving problems on their own. What better way to help us solve this problem and create more resources than with AI? In fact, artificial intelligence is making advancements in many exciting areas of mental health.

Data Science Can Provide Personalized Treatment-

        Each individual has their own unique needs, and different types of mental health conditions as well as individual personality traits will respond best to a particular type of therapy, therapist, or medication. For example, currently a patient may need to trial several different types of medication before finding the most effective depression medication for them. Machine learning can help make advancements by monitoring trends and collecting data to streamline this process. For example, research using brain imaging and machine learning was able to find correlations between an individual's neural responses to emotional conflict and likelihood of benefit from an SSRI. Instead of using trial and error, why not use artificial intelligence and mental health algorithms to find the right answer more quickly?

Expanded Access Thanks to AI-

        Some additional benefits to using AI include improved access to resources conveniently and at lower cost than traditional therapy. For example, an emotionally intelligent AI chatbot, called WoeBot, uses mental health algorithms to manage distressing thoughts and feelings. This chatbot monitors moods and creates a positive, therapeutic experience for its users. For those experiencing anxiety due to social anxiety or stigma, this tool is a great resource, offering additional support as well as privacy and anonymity. Additionally, these tools offer additional, around-the-clock support in between therapist sessions, giving patients life tools to manage their symptoms.

Optimizing Mental Health with AI-

        AI data collection can offer insights for therapy sessions. For example, making use of wearable devices such as a FitBit to monitor quality of sleep and other metrics. For example, the therapist receives objective data and can spot trends to focus on, such as sleep hygiene or emotional wellbeing. The clinician is able to make good choices about areas of improvement for patients based on helpful, objective data.

Winning Combination: Human Expertise and AI Data Analysis-

        Using AI to analyze vast amounts of big data and spot trends will help us to make connections and advancements more quickly than humans alone could do. For example, AI can spot trends within complex data such as family history, effective past treatments, patient behaviour, and other factors to provide a more precise diagnosis and help both patient and clinician to achieve the best outcome. While these tasks are best synthesized by AI, human interactions involving empathy will still be best left to humans. The winning combination of human expertise, skills, and abilities in addition to artificial intelligence tools, means that the future of mental health is full of possibilities.

The Future of Mental Health with AI-

        In conclusion, combining both healthcare professionals expertise with AI tools has exciting future implications for mental health. Mental health challenges currently affect 1 in 7 people globally, and thus improving access to resources and advancements in treatment are vital to maintaining health, both mentally and physically. AI is poised to fill a gap in the area of mental health and increase access conveniently, cost effectively, and efficiently.

Author: Vaishali Sancheti Jain, M.Phil. (Clinical Psychology) 2nd Year Trainee, Under the supervision of Dr. Ranjita (Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology at CIIMHANS, Chattisgarh).