In 2024, MQ Mental Health Research created an opportunity, developed and funded by Wellcome, to support researchers outside psychiatry, psychology, and neuroscience to apply bold and novel ideas and methods from their discipline to mental health science. In this Transdisciplinary Research Grant series, we will go through each study, and explain why the results are vital to the future of mental health interventions.
Art therapy stands out as an intervention as it allows people to express their thoughts and emotions through creating art, which can often be easier than using words. However, some people find using crafts like paints or clay challenging. With the rise of creative AI tools that can create artwork with a few text prompts, there are new ways for people to express themselves artistically, even if they lack confidence in their art skills or face physical limitations.
People living with mental health conditions have expressed a strong interest in seeing more research into how digital technologies could be integrated into existing psychological treatments. According to a 2022 report from the James Lind Alliance, many patients want access to therapies that combine traditional approaches with the convenience and innovation of modern technology.
What Did the Research Involve?
To understand how creative AI and art therapy could work together, Dr Alison Pease and their team reviewed books, articles, and reports about previous efforts to use technology in creative mental health therapies, including studies where computers and people worked together to create art. During this process, they also collected insights from therapists and patients about the potential benefits and challenges of involving AI in the creative process.
During the reviewing process, Alison’s team prioritised people with lived experience of mental health challenges in key roles, helping to identify important issues, such as how to ensure that AI tools are safe and supportive in therapeutic settings. Their unique contributions gave the researchers a realistic view of who could benefit most from these technologies.
What Did They Learn?
One of the most significant outcomes of this project has been fostering a better understanding between computing specialists and art therapists. Even though both fields think about creativity in different ways, working together is important to make sure AI tools for therapy are not just innovative but also useful and helpful for patients.
What Are the Next Steps?
For instance, AI tools must be carefully designed to aid, rather than replace, the human connection that’s so central to therapy. They also need to be accessible so people with different levels of comfort with technology can use them. Most importantly, these tools must respect the sensitive nature of therapy, whilst allowing users to feel supported and in control.
