Every day it seems like artificial intelligence is taking over a new job sector — restaurants, newsrooms, art studios, and now, your therapist’s office.
The demand for therapy has increased over the last few years, which means therapists are stretched thin trying to best help their clients. Some mental health clinics have turned to AI to help monitor quality control and even speed up the diagnosis process.
For example, the mental health clinic Ieso uses AI to analyze language used in a therapy session through natural-language processing (NLP) – a technique where machines process transcripts. This gives therapists a better insight into their work to ensure their delivering the best quality care.
AI is also being used to help match clients with the right therapists, and to identify the best type of therapy for an individual. By analyzing data such as medical history, demographics and even social media posts, AI can suggest the optimal therapeutic approach for an individual.
Many mental health professionals have also utilized AI to form better therapy plans. Data analysis can help predict how a patient might respond to specific treatments, allowing professionals to tailor interventions to their patient’s needs.
Outside of a therapist’s office, AI is being used to create new applications for mental health. For example, chatbots, apps and virtual reality are being used to help patients manage their mental health. These options provide help for those in immediate distress or others who cannot attend traditional therapy for physical or financial reasons.
Of course, there’s still a learning curve to using AI. Often times it’s only as good as the user inputting information. But many experts are optimistic that AI will grow stronger and become a beneficial tool for anyone dealing with mental health.
