Exploring the Ethical Challenges of Conversational AI in Mental Health Care: Scoping Review
Our scoping review has comprehensively covered ethical aspects of CAI in mental health care. While certain themes remain underexplored and stakeholders' perspectives are insufficiently represented, this study highlights critical areas for further research. These include evaluating the risks and benefits of CAI in comparison to human therapists, determining its appropriate roles in therapeutic contexts and its impact on care access, and addressing accountability. Addressing these gaps can inform normative analysis and guide the development of ethical guidelines for responsible CAI use in mental health care.
Authors
- Justin Bernstein (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4837-5832)
- Anton J.L.M. van Balkom (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9171-0208)
- Neeltje M. Batelaan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6444-3781)
- Mehrdad Rahsepar Meadi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5637-3349)
- Suzanne Metselaar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8655-7082)
- Tomas Sillekens (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-5928-9333)
Institutions
- GGz centraal (NL)
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- JMIR Mental Health
- Published
- 2025-02-21
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.2196/60432
- Citations
- 69
- Primary Topic
- Digital Mental Health Interventions
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 106.53