Psychological and Addiction-Related Impacts of Artificial Intelligence on Society

BACKGROUND:

The expanding role of artificial intelligence (AI) in mental healthcare presents significant opportunities and challenges. AI has the potential to fundamentally transform traditional healthcare practices, particularly in diagnostics, interventions, and its accessibility.

AIM:

To provide an overview of the historical development of AI applications in mental health, current implementation of trends in this area, as well as benefits, risks, and ethical considerations.

METHODS:

A narrative nonsystematic review was conducted between July and August 2025. The databases searched were Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, EBSCO, Google Scholar, and Science Direct.

RESULTS:

Based on 47 studies, the findings indicated that within the domain of mental health, the utilisation of artificial intelligence is predominantly focused on the domains of diagnostics, monitoring, and personalised intervention. Recent research highlighted the necessity for human oversight and collaboration to ensure safe clinical practices, despite the existence of numerous approaches to implementation. The main identified risks included AI hallucinations, a lack of transparency and data protection, and the emerging trend of chatbot dependence.

CONCLUSIONS:

This narrative review highlights the transformative potential of AI in mental healthcare, particularly through tools such as chatbots, virtual assistants, and predictive analytics. The findings underscore that AI should not replace but rather complement human expertise.