Can Artificial Intelligence Improve Psychotherapy Research and Practice?
Abstract
Leonard Bickman's article on the future of artificial intelligence (AI) in psychotherapy research paints an encouraging picture of the progress to be made in this field. We support his perspective, but we also offer some cautionary notes about the boost AI can provide. We suggest that AI is not likely to transform psychotherapy research or practice to the degree seen in pharmacology and medicine because the factors that contribute to treatment response in these realms differ so markedly from one another, and in ways that do not favor advances in psychotherapy. Despite this limitation, it seems likely that AI will have a beneficial impact, improving empirical analysis through data-driven model development, tools for addressing the limitations of traditional regression methods, and novel means of personalizing treatment. In addition, AI has the potential to augment the reach of the researcher and therapist by expanding our ability to gather data and deliver interventions beyond the confines of the lab or clinical office.
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Chatbots can be used to complement the work of clinicians for those in need of mental health services when there are insufficient resources.
“Thus, chatbots can be used to complement the work of clinicians for those in need of mental health services when there are insufficient resources [70].”
From Using Artificial Intelligence to Enhance Ongoing Psychological Interventions for Emotional Problems in Real- or Close to Real-Time: A Systematic Review (2022) · cites this paper as [70]
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- Authors
- Horn, R. L., & Weisz, J. R.
- Affiliations
- Harvard University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Horn, Rachel L.
- Venue
- Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research
- Published
- 2020-07-26
- Volume
- 47
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 852-855
- ISSN
- 0894-587X (ISSN-L)
- 1573-3289
- OpenAlex
- W3044514295
- Cited by
- 36
- References
- 12
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1
- FWCI
- 1.12
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Health Informatics › Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
- Keywords
- artificial intelligence, psychotherapy research, psychotherapy practice, treatment response, data-driven modeling, personalized treatment, digital interventions, research data collection
- MeSH terms
- Artificial Intelligence, Health Services Research, Humans, Psychotherapy
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