Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39913781›Full record

ArticleThe American journal of bioethics : AJOB2026

Beyond Doomsday Fears: Why We Need to Consider the Potential Harms of AI Psychotherapy.

Şerife Tekin, Megan Delehanty

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in The American journal of bioethics : AJOB, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Responsible artificial intelligence integration framework for psychiatric guidelines.The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology · 2026
    Guideline
  2. Seven Desiderata for Ethical Frameworks for AI Mental Health Agents.The American journal of bioethics : AJOB · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Şerife TekinSUNY Upstate Medical University.ORCID 0000-0001-8523-0435
Megan DelehantyUniversity of Calgary.ORCID 0000-0003-4155-7828

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

There is increased enthusiasm about the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in psychotherapy. Notably, AI psychotherapy chatbots are increasing in popularity, especially since the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave one of these apps breakthrough device designation. This article raises concerns about the lack of consideration of potential harms of this technology for clinical trial participants, and current and future users. We outline what these harms might be, by turning to the Belmont Report and the existing literature on harms of (typical) psychotherapy and conclude with two recommendations. Note that our goal is not to articulate doomsday fears regarding the use of AI in psychotherapy contexts; rather we offer a constructive proposal in thinking about the potential harms of these tools and invite clinicians, patients, developers, researchers, policymakers and funding agencies to work together to augment the benefits of these tools and minimize their potential harms.

Indexed as

Artificial IntelligenceFearMobile ApplicationsPsychotherapyHumansUnited StatesUnited States Food and Drug AdministrationAI ethicsAI psychotherapyArtificial Intelligenceharmmental disorderPsychotherapy

Identifiers

PMID39913781

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.