ArticleFrontiers in psychiatry2019
Key Considerations for Incorporating Conversational AI in Psychotherapy.
Article in Frontiers in psychiatry, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 42 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
42 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 131 citations in OpenAlex.
- AI-driven psychological and cognitive decision processes in professional practice: a systematic review using music teachers as an instrumental case.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Pooled it
- Art psychotherapy meets creative AI: an integrative review positioning the role of creative AI in art therapy process.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Pooled it
- Natural language processing for mental health interventions: a systematic review and research framework.Translational psychiatry · 2023Pooled it
- Using Artificial Intelligence to Enhance Ongoing Psychological Interventions for Emotional Problems in Real- or Close to Real-Time: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- A Systematic Review on Healthcare Artificial Intelligent Conversational Agents for Chronic Conditions.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Pooled it
- Changes to the Psychiatric Chatbot Landscape: A Systematic Review of Conversational Agents in Serious Mental Illness: Changements du paysage psychiatrique des chatbots: une revue systématique des agents conversationnels dans la maladie mentale sérieuse.Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie · 2021Pooled it
- Voice-Based Conversational Agents for the Prevention and Management of Chronic and Mental Health Conditions: Systematic Literature Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2021Pooled it
- Effectiveness of a Fully Automated Mobile Therapeutic Versus a General Chatbot in Reducing Depression and Anxiety and Improving Well-Being: Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR mental health · 2026Trial
- Effects of a virtual voice-based coach delivering problem-solving treatment on emotional distress and brain function: a pilot RCT in depression and anxiety.Translational psychiatry · 2023Trial
- A Therapeutic Relational Agent for Reducing Problematic Substance Use (Woebot): Development and Usability Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2021Trial
- Conversational AI should fill the white space in mental health care, not replace humans.NPJ digital medicine · 2026Review
- Current Landscape of Mental Health Conversational Agents From a Trauma-Informed Care Lens: Scoping Review.JMIR mental health · 2026Article
- Intelligent virtual agents in psychotherapy: a safety evaluation across high-risk mental health scenarios.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Artificial Intelligence in Couple and Family Therapy: Introduction of the AI Competencies.Journal of marital and family therapy · 2026Article
- User experience and safety of generative AI-based mental health chatbots: Scoping review protocol.PloS one · 2026Article
- Article
- ChatGPT Clinical Use in Mental Health Care: Scoping Review of Empirical Evidence.JMIR mental health · 2025Article
- Use of Artificial Intelligence in Mental Healthcare, Health Psychology, and Related Research: A Narrative Review to Address Challenges and Opportunities.Health science reports · 2025Article
- Designing Artificial Intelligence-Powered Health Care Assistants to Reach Vulnerable Populations: A Discrete Choice Experiment Among South African University Students.Mayo Clinic proceedings. Digital health · 2025Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Conversational artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the way mental health care is delivered. By gathering diagnostic information, facilitating treatment, and reviewing clinician behavior, conversational AI is poised to impact traditional approaches to delivering psychotherapy. While this transition is not disconnected from existing professional services, specific formulations of clinician-AI collaboration and migration paths between forms remain vague. In this viewpoint, we introduce four approaches to AI-human integration in mental health service delivery. To inform future research and policy, these four approaches are addressed through four dimensions of impact: access to care, quality, clinician-patient relationship, and patient self-disclosure and sharing. Although many research questions are yet to be investigated, we view safety, trust, and oversight as crucial first steps. If conversational AI isn't safe it should not be used, and if it isn't trusted, it won't be. In order to assess safety, trust, interfaces, procedures, and system level workflows, oversight and collaboration is needed between AI systems, patients, clinicians, and administrators.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.