AI mental health support and the case for distributed networked regulation / Jeannie Marie Paterson

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Paterson, Jeannie Marie, author.

Series:

Cambridge elements. Elements in data rights and wrongs.

Cambridge elements. Elements in data rights and wrongs, 2976-7520

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Artificial intelligence--Medical applications.

Artificial intelligence.

Artificial intelligence--Medical applications--Law and legislation.

Chatbots.

Mental health services--Law and legislation.

Mental health services.

Mental health services--Data processing.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2026

Summary:

"Clinicians and consumers have long been interested in using purpose-built chatbots to provide mental health support. Specifically designed ‘therapy bots’ are now available direct-to-consumer, even though researchers have yet to establish their efficacy, safety and viability. Whatever their merits or limitations, the role for specialised therapy bots has been overshadowed by the increasing number of people using AI companions and general-purpose generative AI chatbots for mental health support. Reports have implicated these offerings in instances of user self-harm and psychosis, prompting calls for more robust regulation across the entire field. This Element examines the opportunities, risks and legal landscape of AI for direct-to-consumer therapy bots and related digital mental health support tools and considers a response of distributed regulatory networks. This approach abandons any pretence of a single body of law providing an effective and palatable response to concerns raised by therapy bots and the challenges posed by evolving technologies operating in sensitive domains"-- Provided by publisher

Contents:

Therapy bots : an overview

What kinds of technologies are being used?

Risks and regulation for therapy bots

Networked regulation

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references

Online resource; title from PDF title page (Cambridge Core, viewed July 7, 2026)

Other Format:

Print version: Paterson, Jeannie Marie AI mental health support and the case for distributed networked regulation

ISBN:

9781009860796

1009860798

OCLC:

1592624111

Publisher Number:

CIPO000401521

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license