Role of Artificial Intelligence in Mental Wellbeing: Opportunities and Challenges

Bavly Samy Helmy Hanna and Andrew Samy Helmy Hanna

COVID-19 has exposed the public to enormous mental disorders especially with social distance and limited resources for mental health. The surge of AI does not mean only a turning point of diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders, but also, the way we define mental health issues. AI offers many potential opportunities to be implemented in the field of mental health assessment and treatment. AI enhances mental wellbeing through internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy chatbots, intelligent virtual worlds and artificial companions, augmented reality applications, therapeutic computer games and electronic medical records. However, these opportunities come with several challenges of users’ privacy, data security, bias, consent, governance and regulation. With the availability of several AI options, psychologists and psychiatrists must pick a suitable tool based on their needs, resources available and implementation practicality. There is a need to develop indigenous proprietary technology for mental health, test it and validate it. Harmony between traditional and technologically based treatment must be achieved overtime.

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