Personal Perspective: AI brings efficiency, value, and balance to mental health services.
The role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in mental health services often seems confined to administrative tasks like scheduling appointments or billing, with minimal direct interaction with patients. However, as technology advances, there are increasing opportunities to integrate AI into more than just a backend tool. This article will explore the potential of AI in direct patient interactions.
Many individuals, perhaps influenced by depictions in science fiction or exposure to automated systems in online platforms, harbor concerns about AI in healthcare. They fear it may replace human interaction or diminish job opportunities for trained mental health professionals. However, this notion is misguided.
In capable hands, AI can actually augment humanity within healthcare. By engaging directly with patients, reaching underserved communities, and handling much of the heavy lifting for mental health providers, AI enables clinicians to dedicate more time to the inherently human aspects of care delivery.
A personal touch takes time; AI facilitates it
Following an initial clinical assessment session (typically lasting 1 to 2 hours), a standard therapy session lasts about 60 minutes, allowing a single therapist to see seven to eight patients per day. Considering the likelihood of missed appointments (with studies indicating a rate of over 40%), patients spend time in sessions sharing updates since their last visit, discussing experiences, thoughts, and emotions. Through structured dialogue, the clinician's task is to continually assess the patient's issues, align them with clinical literature and scientific data, update the treatment plan as needed, and ensure the patient progresses through treatment steps, identifying potential barriers.
That's a lot to accomplish in an hour! What if a well-trained AI therapist could share the workload? Advanced language models like ChatGPT have demonstrated the ability to engage in highly naturalistic structured conversations with humans. It stands to reason that clinically validated AI could work with patients between sessions, gathering crucial information, tracking progress, ensuring treatment adherence and session attendance, and monitoring for signs of clinical risk or deterioration. By the time the patient sees their therapist again, the therapist could have received a concise clinical note detailing the patient's progress since the last session.
Instead of diminishing humanity from therapy, AI will enrich the system with more time. A one-hour session could be dedicated to fostering a genuine human connection between therapist and patient—empathy, active listening, rapport-building, trust, and emotion management. This blended approach to care would retain the clinical expertise of qualified therapists, conveying information more authentically and efficiently between provider and patient.
Humanity for the masses, not just a select few
While skeptics might assume patients would refuse to engage with an AI therapist, research tells a different story. For instance, a recent study found that patients were more likely to seek care if greeted by an AI, citing personalization, empathy, and tailored clinical interactions as significant contributors to a positive experience.
AI has the potential to enhance user understanding and integration into healthcare systems while reducing the stigma of mental health by providing a relatively nonjudgmental entry point. Particularly noteworthy is how minority groups stand to benefit most from this technology, highlighting its potential to improve access for underserved communities.
Creating a more compassionate healthcare environment
Unfortunately, burnout is a significant issue for psychotherapists, exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the American Psychological Association, nearly half of clinicians feel unable to meet patient treatment needs and experience overwhelming fatigue.
Psychotherapists have become so overwhelmed with the imbalance between enjoyable and demanding tasks that many have opted to leave the profession. While still passionate about helping people, these providers cannot continue due to the immense stress they face.
To address this challenge and increase industry retention, mental health providers can utilize patient-facing AI to handle much of the heavy lifting, freeing them to focus on tasks that require genuine human expertise. This will enable therapists to assume more of a clinical oversight role and operate at the peak of their abilities without feeling overwhelmed.
Humanity evolves through technology
It's undeniable that humans interact intricately through technology, from smartphones and tablets to laptops. Society has evolved alongside technology. Just as the broader healthcare system has benefited from advancements in medical imaging, genomic data, or even 3D printing of prosthetics, implants, and replacement joints, relegating mental healthcare solely to AI and AI would isolate our industry and overlook a fundamental aspect of the human experience of the very people we aim to assist.
AI technology in the mental health sector mirrors the transition from steam to diesel engines in the railway industry (or, even more aptly, the advancement from diesel to battery-powered vehicles). AI promises to bring about a much-needed shift in mindset to an industry that still relies solely on overburdened human labor.
We must not allow providers or patients to be left behind. We must embrace these new approaches and steer them toward the advancement of humanity.