2023-10-17 21:07:29
Rise in Mental Illness Sparks Potential for AI Technology in Improving Mental Health Care
TLDR
One in five people reportedly suffer from a mental illness. The problem appears to be more widespread in the US, with the rise being linked to “anxiety disorders, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and PTSD.” AI technology has the potential to improve the quality and access of mental health care for patients around the world.
The new era of generative AI technology could provide new opportunities for people with mental illness to seek professional help and care.
Recent studies have found that one in five people suffer from a mental illness, showing how widespread mental disorders are, especially in the United States.
Mental health problems are on the rise
A study conducted by RAND Corp. showed that mental health care among Americans with private health insurance has particularly increased since the Covid-19 pandemic.
RAND Corp. linked the onset of mental illness to increases in “anxiety disorders, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and PTSD.”
It is important for many people with mental health problems to seek professional help because they can impact every other aspect of the individual’s life, including emotional well-being, relationships, work or school performance, and overall quality of life.
However, not many people have access to quality mental health services for a variety of reasons, including disparities in the healthcare delivery process, a shortage of mental health professionals, and the significant healthcare costs associated with seeking professional help. This is where AI technology comes into play.
How AI technology can help improve mental health care
Online or telepsychiatry services have already been shown to offer enormous potential for improving health conditions.
According to RAND Corps: “During the acute phase of the pandemic (March 2020 to December 2020), in-person mental health services decreased by 40 percent, while telepsychiatry services increased approximately 10-fold compared to the previous year.”
Even more could be achieved here with the potential of AI technology. For example, mental health care providers can use generative AI solutions to develop new therapeutic methods that personalize treatment plans for individual patients with different cases.
Providers can also develop AI-powered virtual assistants that can provide a sense of support, companionship, and comfort to patients who are feeling isolated or lonely. Additionally, the adoption of AI solutions has the potential to reduce mental health care costs.
Nicholas C. Jacobson, a professor at Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine College, said of the benefits of AI: “The technology can provide access to procedures that many people would not otherwise have access to, especially in a short period of time.”
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