Ethics of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence in Mental Healthcare

Ethics of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence in Mental Healthcare
Book Chapter
Emanuel Schwarz, Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg
Ethics in Psychiatry, 20 March 2025 [Springer]
Abstract
Digitalization in healthcare encompasses a broad spectrum of rapidly advancing technological developments, aimed at improving the effectiveness and quality of medical care. This shift in medical care provisioning gives rise to several ethical challenges that need to be successfully addressed to ensure the responsible clinical implementation of digital technologies, and of the associated research. This chapter provides an overview of these challenges across different technological fields relevant for healthcare digitalization, with particular focus on the aspects of pronounced relevance for mental health applications. It explores ethical considerations relevant to electronic health record systems and other data platforms, which are a cornerstone for the future development of healthcare solutions, such as through machine learning technology. We discuss important questions regarding informed consent and data reuse, as well as aspects relevant for digital mental health interventions. The chapter then focuses on mobile technology and data analytics, with particular emphasis on precision medicine approaches. Finally, digital twins are discussed as an upcoming technological development that brings about several unique ethical challenges. Addressing the ethical challenges of digital healthcare applications will be the basis for their responsible development and use, and will aid in building trust by different stakeholders that is fundamental for clinical care and future research.