Artificial intelligence for psychotherapy: a review of the current state and future directions
Open accessAbstract
Purpose of the Review: Psychotherapy is crucial for addressing mental health issues but is often limited by accessibility and quality. Artificial intelligence (AI) offers innovative solutions, such as automated systems for increased availability and personalized treatments to improve psychotherapy. Nonetheless, ethical concerns about AI integration in mental health care remain. This narrative review explores the literature on AI applications in psychotherapy, focusing on their mechanisms, effectiveness, and ethical implications, particularly for depressive and anxiety disorders. Collection and Analysis of Data: A review was conducted, spanning studies from January 2009 to December 2023, focusing on empirical evidence of AI's impact on psychotherapy. Following PRISMA guidelines, the authors independently screened and selected relevant articles. The analysis of 28 studies provided a comprehensive understanding of AI's role in the field. The results suggest that AI can enhance psychotherapy interventions for people with anxiety and depression, especially chatbots and internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy. However, to achieve optimal outcomes, the ethical integration of AI necessitates resolving concerns about privacy, trust, and interaction between humans and AI. Conclusion: The study emphasizes the potential of AI-powered cognitive-behavioral therapy and conversational chatbots to address symptoms of anxiety and depression effectively. The article highlights the importance of cautiously integrating AI into mental health services, considering privacy, trust, and the relationship between humans and AI. This integration should prioritize patient well-being and assist mental health professionals while also considering ethical considerations and the prospective benefits of AI.
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The increasing incorporation of artificial technology into DMHIs may further complicate the implementation of blended care in the future.
“Moreover, the increasing incorporation of artificial technology into DMHIs may further complicate the implementation of blended care in the future [17].”
From Needs and Expectations for the myNewWay Blended Digital and Face-to-Face Psychotherapy Model of Care for Depression and Anxiety (Part 2): Participatory Design Study including Mental Health Professionals (2025) · cites this paper as [17]
The Telepsychiatry and AI Therapy section describes AI-driven mental health interventions, and Complexities of AI Integration in Clinical Environments identifies challenges to their clinical use. The paper does not specifically address blended care or predict that incorporating AI into digital mental health interventions will make blended care harder to implement. (LLM, conf=0.84)
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- Authors
- Beg, M. J., Verma, M., M., V. C. K. M., & Verma, M. K.
- Affiliations
- Lovely Professional University (IN)
- Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre (IN)
- Corresponding author
- Beg, Mirza Jahanzeb
- Venue
- Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2024-07-28
- Volume
- 47
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 314-325
- ISSN
- 0253-7176 (ISSN-L)
- 0975-1564
- PMC
- PMC12359021
- OpenAlex
- W4401101224
- Cited by
- 82
- References
- 51
- Citations by year
- 2026: 49 · 2025: 30 · 2024: 3
- FWCI
- 4.97
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- diamond
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Health Informatics › Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Keywords
- artificial intelligence in psychotherapy, chatbots, internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy, depression, anxiety disorders, access to mental health care, AI ethics, privacy, personalized treatment
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