Leveraging Novel Technologies and Artificial Intelligence to Advance Practice-Oriented Research

Abstract

Mental health services are experiencing notable transformations as innovative technologies and artificial intelligence (AI)are increasingly utilized in a growing number of studies and services.These cutting-edge technologies carry the promise of substantial improvements in the field of mental health. Never-theless, questions emerge about the alignment of novel technologies and AI systems with human needs, especially in thecontext of vulnerable populations receiving mental healthcare. The practice-oriented research (POR) model is pivotalin seamlessly integrating these emerging technologies into clinical research and practice. It underscores the importanceof tight collaboration between clinicians and researchers, all driven by the central goal of ensuring and elevating clientwell-being. This paper focuses on how novel technologies can enhance the POR model and highlights its pivotal role inintegrating these technologies into clinical research and practice. We discuss two key phases: pre-treatment, and duringtreatment. For each phase, we describe the challenges, present the major technological innovations, describe recent studiesexemplifying technology use, and suggest future directions. Ethical concerns and the importance of aligning humans andtechnology are also considered, in addition to implications for practice and training.