Minds and Machines: Rethinking Mental Health in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes ever more omnipresent, key questions arise: How can AI help with mental health prediction, prevention, treatment, and care? How might ethical and social issues associated with AI in mental health unfold? And perhaps more importantly, with evidence-based insights, how can we guide the development and application of AI in mental health more effectively, to better facilitate positive synergy between minds and machines? As technology advances, from AI-powered psychiatric diagnostics and AI-enabled mental health interventions to AI companions, AI has rapidly moved from experimental clinical tools to everyday infrastructures that shape how mental health is assessed, interpreted, and managed.These developments are not merely technological upgrades to existing care systems; they transform the epistemology of mental health itself, how psychological well-being is defined, detected, and acted upon. However, this transformation introduces complex challenges and tensions. For instance, algorithmic systems promise scalability and early detection, but they may also embed opaque assumptions about normality, risk, and emotional expression. AI-mediated environments influence not only clinical decision-making but also individuals’ everyday experiences of self-reflection, therapy, and social support. At the same time, the data infrastructures that power these systems raise questions about privacy, bias, and the governance of sensitive psychological information. Consequently, the intersection of AI and mental health calls for multidimensional, interdisciplinary scrutiny. Scholars must examine how AI models reshape clinical practice, public health strategies, and cultural understandings of mental health and psychological well-being. This Research Topic seeks to critically investigate these emerging dynamics and explore how AI might responsibly augment, rather than distort human-centered mental health care.The goal of this Research Topic is to foster a rigorous, diverse, and interdisciplinary examination of how AI is transforming the conceptual, clinical, and societal dimensions of mental health. Rather than focusing solely on technological innovation, the collection aims to interrogate the broader implications of AI-driven tools and applications for diagnosis, care delivery, patient autonomy, and mental health governance, along with their ethical and societal implications. We seek contributions that combine empirical research, theoretical reflection, and critical analysis to illuminate both the opportunities and risks associated with AI-mediated mental health practices. By bringing together perspectives from psychology, psychiatry, computer science, philosophy, ethics, sociology, and digital health studies, the collection aims to clarify how AI technologies can be designed, implemented, and regulated in ways that support equitable, transparent, and clinically meaningful mental health interventions. Ultimately, the goal is to develop a more nuanced understanding of how minds and machines can better interact in the AI age.In this Research Topic, we invite manuscripts in the form of original research, reviews, mini-reviews, case reports, hypothesis and theory papers, perspectives, as well as commentaries. These can cover, but are not limited to, the following areas related to AI, mental health, and public health:· What is the landscape of AI development and application in mental health?· How can AI help with mental health prediction, prevention, treatment, and recovery?· How might AI-mediated tools reshape mental health literacy among the public and healthcare professionals?· What are the implications, ethical or practical, good or bad, current or future, of applying AI in mental health care and treatment?· What social responsibilities should accompany the use of AI in mental health contexts?· How might AI-driven mental health technologies reshape the broader healthcare ecosystem?· How might AI strengthen mental health systems and influence human-centered care? Topic editors: Dean P McDonnell, Claudimar Veiga, Zhaohui Su Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/80373/minds-and-machines-rethinking-mental-health-in-the-age-of-artificial-intelligence