AI and Mental Health – A Policy Perspective

The clinical potential of AI to assist mental health, in particular to help diagnose and treat mental disorders, is increasingly well-researched. However, the wider long-term implications of AI for mental health raise important policy questions – from how best to address the potentially harmful effects of social media algorithms to how to ensure the impact of AI on employment is positive rather than negative. The impact of social media algorithms encouraging eating disorders, self-harm and suicide has already been well publicised. There's also good evidence that job loss is harmful for mental health and evidence that fear of job loss may be harmful. Even where this isn't an issue the pace and nature of change generated by AI can be an issue. There’s currently a policy deficit in this area in the UK, only partially addressed by the Online Safety Act, and with recent government policy decisions affecting employers potentially having the unintended consequence of incentivizing some to use AI to replace staff, with knock-on mental health implications. There’s currently also no powerful national public health voice (following the disbanding of Public Health England) to lead policy thinking here on the implications of AI for the nation’s health – suggesting a policy mechanism gap that needs to be filled. This will be important to identify those most at risk and to develop strategies and policies to prepare for and cope with the changes ahead and prevent or mitigate risk for the most vulnerable – so that the positive effects of AI can be achieved, while minimising risk.