There is a considerable mental health crisis in the United States: 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year, yet less than half of these individuals receive treatment.1 Furthermore, 160 million people live in areas that have a shortage of mental health professionals, contributing to the low number of individuals receiving treatment for their mental health concerns.1
With mental health conditions capable of affecting personal, academic and work success, proper diagnosis and treatment are critical for improving quality of life. AI in mental health offers a way to address these barriers to mental health care by increasing accessibility, improving the diagnostic process and addressing treatment gaps.2 When this innovation is applied properly, it can transform mental health care.
What is AI in Mental Health Care?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a set of technologies that allow computers to perform various advanced functions that could previously only be completed by humans.2 These tasks may include analyzing data, making recommendations or collecting information on a specific topic. It’s similar to a personal assistant that can be fine-tuned to address several challenges.
The possibility of AI is immense, and its true power is realized when applied to a specific field, such as healthcare. AI for mental health can support professionals in their various tasks, including diagnosing, treating and managing their patients.2 With the help of AI, these tasks not only become more efficient but can also be completed with fewer errors.2, 3
How is AI Used in Mental Healthcare?
The following are some of the applications of AI in mental healthcare:
Early Detection and Diagnosis
Using machine learning, AI can train itself to identify the early signs of mental health conditions by analyzing speech patterns, social media activity or wearable data.2, 4 This use of AI in mental health can provide professionals with an opportunity to detect mental health conditions using data that are obtained outside of professional analysis. This can provide greater insight into someone’s day-to-day activities and challenges. With AI for mental health detection, healthcare professionals get access to more data to use in the diagnostic process, which can help them make more accurate diagnoses.
AI for Mental Health Therapy Tools
Virtual mental health assistants, such as chatbots, are another application of AI in mental health. Some patients feel more comfortable sharing their feelings with chatbots rather than dealing with the stigma of speaking with a professional.5 Chatbots, in addition to offering an outlet for expression, can trigger a referral to a human mental health professional.6
Another type of AI mental health assistant is a smartwatch or fitness tracker, which can analyze mood patterns and help individuals develop strategies for managing emotions.7 Some trackers may be able to provide their data to a mental health professional. AI can also be used to identify individuals at risk of mental health concerns, helping them receive support.8
AI for mental health can drive computerized cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) programs, which focus on changing thinking patterns to recognize distortions, using problem-solving to cope with difficult situations and changing behavioral patterns, such as facing fears instead of avoiding them, breaking the cycle of negativity and building resilience.9, 10 AI chatbots and apps can be used in this type of therapy, especially for anxiety and depression, to help patients practice CBT.
Personalized Treatment Plans
By offering real-time feedback and progress tracking for patients, AI in mental healthcare can tailor interventions based on individual needs.2 Additionally, by tracking data, even outside a therapy session, AI allows healthcare professionals to continually adjust their treatment plan based on the patient’s unique response.2
Improving Access to Mental Health Care
AI helps reduce barriers to mental health care, such as geographical location or resource constraints.3 With AI for mental health, therapists can take on more patients. AI tool integration offers a patient source for general concerns, allowing the mental health professional to focus on more severe cases.5 Furthermore, by expediting the diagnosis process, mental health professionals can begin treatment sooner.2, 4
The ability of AI in mental health to reduce the barrier of geographical location allows more people to access care, improving the mental health of society through this remote form of support that can scale up or down, depending on a community’s needs.2
Can AI Help with Mental Health?
Yes, there are many benefits for AI and mental health.
By aiding the diagnosis process through computerized analysis, AI in mental healthcare offers improved accuracy in diagnosis and treatment recommendations, allowing patients to set off on the right treatment path.2, 4 Furthermore, if their treatment offers no improvements, AI can help detect response patterns promptly to adjust and try an alternative treatment.
Remote healthcare services help improve patient engagement. Through AI-driven mental health assistants such as chatbots and trackers, patients can remain engaged in their care 24/7, whether by tracking their symptoms or talking to a virtual support assistant.5, 7
Outside of helping patients, AI for mental health can also automate administrative tasks for professionals, providing relief from the workload provided by these tasks and opening up more time in their day to work with patients.11
What Are the Challenges of AI in Mental Health?
As AI usage grows, so do associated challenges and ethical concerns. When integrating mental health and AI, it is important to be aware of these considerations.
First, there is the risk of data privacy and security.12 AI tools in mental health care rely on analyzing patient data, which can be sensitive. It is important to understand the security of AI programs to ensure patient data is safe.
Some AI-driven care may possess biases that lead to disparities in care. Specifically, AI for mental health is trained using datasets, but if these datasets do not encompass all patients, they may lead to unreliable predictions or social prejudice. For instance, if one ethnic group often has their mental health condition undiagnosed due to limited access to care, datasets may not include much of their data, leading to biases. It is important to be aware of these biases when incorporating AI and mental health so that every patient receives the same quality of care.
Finally, remember that AI in mental healthcare is a tool that should support health professionals, not replace them. In many cases, diagnosing mental health conditions and monitoring treatment progress requires more subjective judgment than physical conditions may require. Therapists often interpret subtle cues and adjust their approach in real-time. This is something that AI cannot do since it operates based on an algorithm. As such, AI alone cannot replace a mental health professional, and these professionals must carefully monitor and follow up with patients to ensure optimal outcomes.14
The Future of AI in Mental Health
Given the benefits of AI for mental health, the future offers promising integrations.
One such application that may evolve in the future is the advancement of AI tools for real-time emotional analysis and treatment, allowing AI to help patients as they deal with a high emotional state and offer guidance on how to manage their emotions.9
AI will also likely see continued integration with telehealth platforms and virtual reality therapy, allowing more patients to access mental health care, no matter their geographical location or access to resources 9
Ultimately, since AI serves as a tool that supports mental health professionals, its use in AI-human collaborations can be expected in the future. For instance, AI in mental healthcare can assist with administrative tasks, data analysis and patient monitoring. Human therapists and counselors provide empathetic, complex care that AI cannot replicate because it may not experience nuanced human emotions. This AI-human interaction may include augmented decision-making where AI assists in the decision-making process, but a trained professional makes the final call.2 It may consist of collaborative platforms where professionals utilize the knowledge revealed through AI to help enhance patient outcomes.2, 3
As AI and mental health become further integrated, the areas where it is truly valuable will be unveiled. This will allow AI to take on these tasks and let human therapists and counselors shine in the way that only they can.
Discovering the Potential of AI
AI offers the potential to transform mental healthcare, enhancing patient outcomes. Through early detection, AI-powered therapy tools, personalized treatment plans and improved access to mental health tools, AI supports the work of mental health professionals and allows them to help more patients.
Are you interested in the future of AI in healthcare? Explore USAHS’ innovative programs, where cutting-edge technology meets hands-on learning to prepare you for the evolving healthcare landscape.
Sources
- “Mental Health By the Numbers,” NAMI, February 11, 2025, https://www.nami.org/about-mental-illness/mental-health-by-the-numbers/
- Thakkar, A., Gupta, A., & Sousa, A. D., “Artificial intelligence in positive mental health: a narrative review,” Frontiers in Digital Health, 2024: 6, https://doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2024.1280235.
- “Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use in Clinical Practice,” ABPP, July 2024 https://abpp.org/newsletter-post/artificial-intelligence-ai-use-in-clinical-practice/.
- Mansoor, M. A., & Ansari, K. H., “Early Detection of Mental Health Crises through Artifical-Intelligence-Powered Social Media Analysis: A Prospective Observational Study,” Journal of Personalized Medicine, 2024: 14(9), 958–958, https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm14090958.
- Mirko Casu, Triscari, S., Battiato, S., Guarnera, L., & Caponnetto, P., “AI Chatbots for Mental Health: A Scoping Review of Effectiveness, Feasibility, and Applications,” Applied Sciences, 2024: 14(13), 5889–5889, https://doi.org/10.3390/app14135889.
- “A chatbot helped more people access mental-health services,” Artificial Intelligence, MIT Technology Review, February 5, 2024, https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/02/05/1087690/a-chatbot-helped-more-people-access-mental-health-services/.
- Olawade, D. B., et al, “Enhancing mental health with Artificial Intelligence: Current trends and future prospects,” Journal of Medicine Surgery and Public Health, 2024: 3, 100099–100099, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.glmedi.2024.100099.
- Cruz-Gonzalez, P., et al, “Artificial intelligence in mental health care: a systematic review of diagnosis, monitoring, and intervention applications,” Psychological Medicine, 2025: 55, https://doi.org/10.1017/s0033291724003295
- Olawade, D. B., et al, “Enhancing mental health with Artificial Intelligence: Current trends and future prospects,” Journal of Medicine, Surgery, and Public Health, 2024: 3, 100099, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.glmedi.2024.100099.
- “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Explained: Can It Really Change Your Thought Patterns?,” Insights Psychology, February 11, 2025, https://insightspsychology.org/cognitive-behavioral-therapy-explained/.
- Parycek, P., Schmid, V., & Novak, A.-S., “Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automation in Administrative Procedures: Potentials, Limitations, and Framework Conditions,” Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 2023: 15(2), 8390–8415, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-023-01433-3.
- Miller, K., “Privacy in an AI Era: How Do We Protect Our Personal Information?,” Stanford University Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, March 18, 2024, https://hai.stanford.edu/news/privacy-ai-era-how-do-we-protect-our-personal-information.
- Abràmoff, M., et al, “Considerations for addressing bias in artificial intelligence for health equity,” npj Digital Medicine, September 12, 2023, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-023-00913-9.
- Zhang, Z., & Wang, J., “Can AI replace psychotherapists? Exploring the future of mental health care,” Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2024: 15, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1444382.
