JMIR Mental Health
Internet interventions, technologies, and digital innovations for mental health and behavior change.
JMIR Mental Health is the official journal of the Society of Digital Psychiatry.
Editor-in-Chief:
John Torous, MD, MBI, Harvard Medical School, USA
Impact Factor 4.8 CiteScore 10.8
Recent Articles
![Use of AI in Mental Health Care: Community and Mental Health Professionals Survey Article Thumbnail](https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/77cf999bb9e8bd9661ebd6ec128df2bc.png 480w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/77cf999bb9e8bd9661ebd6ec128df2bc.png 960w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/77cf999bb9e8bd9661ebd6ec128df2bc.png 1920w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/77cf999bb9e8bd9661ebd6ec128df2bc.png 2500w)
![Using Biosensor Devices and Ecological Momentary Assessment to Measure Emotion Regulation Processes: Pilot Observational Study With Dialectical Behavior Therapy Article Thumbnail](https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/9d5c93fb90940f8bccec0c2ac5fd3f7c.png 480w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/9d5c93fb90940f8bccec0c2ac5fd3f7c.png 960w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/9d5c93fb90940f8bccec0c2ac5fd3f7c.png 1920w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/9d5c93fb90940f8bccec0c2ac5fd3f7c.png 2500w)
Novel technologies, such as ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and wearable biosensor wristwatches, are increasingly being utilized to assess outcomes and mechanisms of change in psychological treatments. However, there is still a dearth of information on the feasibility and acceptability of these technologies and whether they can be reliably used to measure variables of interest.
![Clinical Use of Mental Health Digital Therapeutics in a Large Health Care Delivery System: Retrospective Patient Cohort Study and Provider Survey Article Thumbnail](https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/199ee37a40bf405ebad57f37417c3b74.png 480w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/199ee37a40bf405ebad57f37417c3b74.png 960w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/199ee37a40bf405ebad57f37417c3b74.png 1920w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/199ee37a40bf405ebad57f37417c3b74.png 2500w)
While the number of digital therapeutics (DTx) has proliferated, there is little real-world research on the characteristics of providers recommending DTx, their recommendation behaviors, or the characteristics of patients receiving recommendations in the clinical setting. Objective: Characterize the clinical and demographic characteristics of patients receiving DTx recommendations, and describe provider characteristics and behaviors regarding DTx.
![Leveraging Personal Technologies in the Treatment of Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: Scoping Review Article Thumbnail](https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/e79366eb73802dd3f50eccafb8b4529f.png 480w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/e79366eb73802dd3f50eccafb8b4529f.png 960w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/e79366eb73802dd3f50eccafb8b4529f.png 1920w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/e79366eb73802dd3f50eccafb8b4529f.png 2500w)
Digital mental health is a rapidly growing field with an increasing evidence base due to its potential scalability and impacts on access to mental health care. Further, within underfunded service systems, leveraging personal technologies to deliver or support specialized service delivery has garnered attention as a feasible and cost-effective means of improving access. Digital health relevance has also improved as technology ownership in individuals with schizophrenia has improved and is comparable to that of the general population. However, less digital health research has been conducted in groups with schizophrenia spectrum disorders compared to other mental health conditions, and overall feasibility, efficacy, and clinical integration remain largely unknown.
![Digital Psychotherapies for Adults Experiencing Depressive Symptoms: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Article Thumbnail](https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/22d9f2e0da37afb56a55e54f30f57abd.png 480w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/22d9f2e0da37afb56a55e54f30f57abd.png 960w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/22d9f2e0da37afb56a55e54f30f57abd.png 1920w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/22d9f2e0da37afb56a55e54f30f57abd.png 2500w)
Depression affects 5% of adults and it is a major cause of disability worldwide. Digital psychotherapies offer an accessible solution addressing this issue. This systematic review examines a spectrum of digital psychotherapies for depression, considering both their effectiveness and user perspectives.
![The Most Effective Interventions for Classification Model Development to Predict Chat Outcomes Based on the Conversation Content in Online Suicide Prevention Chats: Machine Learning Approach Article Thumbnail](https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/ea8a94fc7c656720a6d19d402b05d837.png 480w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/ea8a94fc7c656720a6d19d402b05d837.png 960w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/ea8a94fc7c656720a6d19d402b05d837.png 1920w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/ea8a94fc7c656720a6d19d402b05d837.png 2500w)
![Generation of Backward-Looking Complex Reflections for a Motivational Interviewing–Based Smoking Cessation Chatbot Using GPT-4: Algorithm Development and Validation Article Thumbnail](https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/0ce5e841ff49b8754cbabc2c760f9fb9.png 480w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/0ce5e841ff49b8754cbabc2c760f9fb9.png 960w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/0ce5e841ff49b8754cbabc2c760f9fb9.png 1920w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/0ce5e841ff49b8754cbabc2c760f9fb9.png 2500w)
Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a therapeutic technique that has been successful in helping smokers reduce smoking but has limited accessibility due to the high cost and low availability of clinicians. To address this, the MIBot project has sought to develop a chatbot that emulates an MI session with a client with the specific goal of moving an ambivalent smoker towards the direction of quitting. One key element of an MI conversation is reflective listening, where a therapist expresses their understanding of what the client has said by uttering a reflection that encourages the client to continue their thought process. Complex reflections link the client’s responses to relevant ideas and facts to enhance this contemplation. Backward-looking complex reflections (BLCRs) link the client’s most recent response to a relevant selection of the client’s previous statements. Our current chatbot can generate complex reflections - but not BLCRs - using large language models (LLMs) such as GPT-2, which allows the generation of unique, human-like messages customized to client responses. Recent advances in these models, such as the introduction of GPT-4, provide a novel way to generate complex text by feeding the models instructions and conversational history directly, making this a promising approach to generate BLCRs.
![Empathy Toward Artificial Intelligence Versus Human Experiences and the Role of Transparency in Mental Health and Social Support Chatbot Design: Comparative Study Article Thumbnail](https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/30a4d1282b41b284bf11fe6de0b81e06.png 480w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/30a4d1282b41b284bf11fe6de0b81e06.png 960w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/30a4d1282b41b284bf11fe6de0b81e06.png 1920w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/30a4d1282b41b284bf11fe6de0b81e06.png 2500w)
Empathy is a driving force in our connection to others, our mental well-being, and resilience to challenges. With the rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems, mental health chatbots, and AI social support companions, it is important to understand how empathy unfolds toward stories from human versus AI narrators and how transparency plays a role in user emotions.
![Regulating AI in Mental Health: Ethics of Care Perspective Article Thumbnail](https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/23131715e790daadf7450d0dd3b1c22c.png 480w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/23131715e790daadf7450d0dd3b1c22c.png 960w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/23131715e790daadf7450d0dd3b1c22c.png 1920w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/23131715e790daadf7450d0dd3b1c22c.png 2500w)
This article contends that the responsible artificial intelligence (AI) approach—which is the dominant ethics approach ruling most regulatory and ethical guidance—falls short because it overlooks the impact of AI on human relationships. Focusing only on responsible AI principles reinforces a narrow concept of accountability and responsibility of companies developing AI. This article proposes that applying the ethics of care approach to AI regulation can offer a more comprehensive regulatory and ethical framework that addresses AI’s impact on human relationships. This dual approach is essential for the effective regulation of AI in the domain of mental health care. The article delves into the emergence of the new “therapeutic” area facilitated by AI-based bots, which operate without a therapist. The article highlights the difficulties involved, mainly the absence of a defined duty of care toward users, and shows how implementing ethics of care can establish clear responsibilities for developers. It also sheds light on the potential for emotional manipulation and the risks involved. In conclusion, the article proposes a series of considerations grounded in the ethics of care for the developmental process of AI-powered therapeutic tools.
![Talk Time Differences Between Interregional and Intraregional Calls to a Crisis Helpline: Statistical Analysis Article Thumbnail](https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/de9cd2c23c64993b3457b1969f90bab3.png 480w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/de9cd2c23c64993b3457b1969f90bab3.png 960w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/de9cd2c23c64993b3457b1969f90bab3.png 1920w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/de9cd2c23c64993b3457b1969f90bab3.png 2500w)
National suicide prevention strategies are general population-based approaches to prevent suicide by promoting help-seeking behaviours and implementing interventions. Crisis helplines are one of the suicide prevention resources available for public use where individuals experiencing a crisis can talk to a trained volunteer. Samaritans UK operates on a national scale, with a number of branches located in within each of the UK’s four countries or regions.
![Engagement, Acceptability, and Effectiveness of the Self-Care and Coach-Supported Versions of the Vira Digital Behavior Change Platform Among Young Adults at Risk for Depression and Obesity: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Article Thumbnail](https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/ae26f4bd388c8f064eb04bbadf05a8d0.png 480w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/ae26f4bd388c8f064eb04bbadf05a8d0.png 960w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/ae26f4bd388c8f064eb04bbadf05a8d0.png 1920w,https://asset.jmir.pub/assets/ae26f4bd388c8f064eb04bbadf05a8d0.png 2500w)
Adolescence and early adulthood are pivotal stages for the onset of mental health disorders and the development of health behaviors. Digital behavioral activation interventions, with or without coaching support, hold promise for addressing risk factors for both mental and physical health problems by offering scalable approaches to expand access to evidence-based mental health support.