The Use of Artificial Intelligence Systems in Mental Health Treatment: A Thematic Review

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems, particularly large language models (LLMS) or chatbots, have been gaining increased popularity in recent years. Users will sometimes use these models for personal mental health assistance. This review aimed to expand the topic and to further understanding of AI’s effectiveness in these use cases. A total of 51 different research articles were examined, leading to themes of interaction quality, explainability, trust, ethical concerns, and anthropomorphism being discussed. In addition to the themes, a list of eight best practices was created to assist developers with designing AI systems in a way that would reduce the overall risk of harm for users attempting to use their AI for mental health cases. While AI is no substitute for a clinician, there are areas in which these systems can perform well and help foster the clinical relationship, but proper user experience design principles should be maintained throughout the process to ensure efficacy and user safety.