How AI Can Change The Way Mental Health Is Treated
SAMEEKA PRABATH – When people imagine therapy, most people think about someone lying on a couch venting to a doctor taking notes. However, this might drastically change very soon.
It is no secret that mental health is on a steady decline. About 20% of Americans experience mental illness in their lifetimes. Mental illnesses can be caused by a variety of things, including safety, work, and environmental conditions. There have been movements within the past decade to help destigmatize getting help. Whether that means taking prescribed medication, getting therapy, or going to a rehabilitation facility, open conversations have helped many recognize their symptoms and get the support they need.
However, this has not been the experience for everyone. According to Forbes Health, psychotherapy can cause up to $100 per session. Even if insurance does cover most of the cost, most facilities require a copay per session. Furthermore, many low income households can’t afford to pay insurance, which makes therapy extremely inaccessible.
Professionals have been working towards integrating artificial intelligence and technology for years, but the process has been expedited due to the demand increase caused by the pandemic. This technology analyzes facial expression, speech, blinking, and heartbeat to detect signs of mental illness. This data is compiled to come up with a diagnosis. AI mental health resources have the potential to transform the way mental illnesses are treated. They have real time analysis, which collects patient data using mobile devices. This allows physicians to look at a larger quantity of data that’s more accurate. Another type of technology being used are digital phenotypes, which is when behavior (like digital interaction and hours of sleep) are tracked to help find a diagnosis.
These apps are already on the market. MyCompass treats mild mental illnesses and encourages their users to monitor their moods and behaviors. Woebot has daily chats and mood tracking challenges that provide mild cognitive behavioral therapy.
There are many positives of integrating artificial intelligence and mental health resources. It can save time since it is more efficient and accurate. It is also less expensive, allowing more people to access help. Furthermore, it can help ease the current shortage of physicians. However, the technology is far from perfect. By taking such a logical approach, we may miss some of the nuances of human behavior. This could lead to an incorrect diagnosis, which could be very dangerous. Furthermore, the data being gathered is extremely personal, posing a security risk. Cyberattacks can also lead to misdiagnoses.
While using AI to help improve mental health is a relatively new idea, it has the potential to revolutionize the industry. From more accurate data to cheaper and more convenient care, there are many benefits to this technology. However, there still needs to be many more improvements for it to be used on a daily basis. There is still a chance that one day, our therapy experience will be greatly different.
Copy editor – Annie Patel