Approved work: Birthrate decline
New parliamentary research project approved to explore the impacts of birthrate decline

This POSTnote summarises the opportunities and delivery considerations for deploying Artificial Intelligence (AI) in mental healthcare.
AI and Mental Healthcare - Opportunities and delivery considerations (952 KB , PDF)
Given the increasing demand for mental healthcare and capacity challenges within mental healthcare, many purpose-built solutions are being trialed by NHS Trusts and beyond. Many examples of AI tools are listed within the POSTnote. Currently much of the deployment has been to supplement delivery of therapy, such as alleviating administrative burdens. However, there is some debate on whether more autonomous solutions could work for some service users.
Research suggests that purpose-built AI solutions can be effective in reducing specific symptoms of some mental health conditions such as anxiety or depression, tracking relapse risks (such as for psychosis), and inciting preventative behaviour changes. However, contributors and systematic reviews emphasised that longer-term and larger-scale studies are needed to better identify what works for whom. The need for more evaluation of cost and efficiency-saving claims was also highlighted.
An area of particular interest to many stakeholders is precision psychiatry. These techniques harness the availability of multiple data sources, such as brain imaging, DNA or blood samples, and passive data collection from mobile phones (among many others). These techniques aim to make diagnosis, treatment and prediction of risks more precise, and large-scale trials are underway. To support implementation of all this, investment, strategy, upskilling, co-design and public trust building are needed.
There are also numerous ethical and regulatory considerations, with responses from government agencies underway. See more details in PN738.
POSTnotes are based on literature reviews and interviews with a range of stakeholders and are externally peer reviewed. POST would like to thank interviewees and peer reviewers for kindly giving up their time during the preparation of this briefing, including:
Members of the POST board*
Aynsley Bernard, Kooth
Dr Graham Blackman, University of Oxford
Professor Adriane Chapman, The Governance in AI Research Group (GAIRG)*
Claudia Corradi, The Nuffield Council on Bioethics
Dr David Crepaz-Keay, the Mental Health Foundation*
Fiona Dawson, Mayden
Zoe Devereux, University of Birmingham*
Dr Piers Gooding, La Trobe University
Dr Caroline Green, University of Oxford
Lara Groves, Ada Lovelace Institute
Rachel Hastings-Caplan, Rethink Mental Illness and Mental Health UK*
Dr Gareth Hopkin, Science Policy and Research Programme Team, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)*
Dr Becky Inkster, Cambridge University
Dr Grace Jacobs, Kings College London*
Lauren Jerome, Queen Mary University of London
Dr Caroline Jones, The Governance in AI Research Group (GAIRG)*
Dr Indra Joshi, Trustee for Lift Schools
Dr Andrey Kormilitzin, University of Oxford
Associate Professor Akshi Kumar, Goldsmiths, University of London
Professor Agata Lapedriza, Northeastern University; Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
Dr Paris Alexandros Lalousis, Kings College London*
Dr Sophia McCully, The Nuffield Council on Bioethics
Dr Rafael Mestre, Southampton University*
Associate Professor Stuart Middleton, Southampton University
Dr Max Rollwage, Limbic*
Dr Annika Marie Schoene, Northeastern University
Julia Smakman. Ada Lovelace Institute*
John Tench, Wysa
Dr James Thornton, The Governance in AI Research Group (GAIRG)*
Alli Smith, Office for Life Sciences
Mona Stylianou, Everyturn Mental Health*
Dr Pauline Whelan, CareLoop*
Dr Gwydion Williams, Wellcome Trust*
Dr James Woollard, Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, NHS England*
Andy Wright, Everyturn Mental Health
Emeritus Professor Jeremy Wyatt, The Governance in AI Research Group (GAIRG)*
Information Commissioners Office*
*denotes people and organisations who acted as external reviewers of the briefing. Some of them were also part of the interview contribution process. Note that contributors are listed in alphabetical order by surname.
AI and Mental Healthcare - Opportunities and delivery considerations (952 KB , PDF)
New parliamentary research project approved to explore the impacts of birthrate decline
This POSTnote summarises the ethical implications and regulatory considerations for deploying Artificial Intelligence (AI) in mental healthcare.
New parliamentary research project approved to consider opportunities and challenges from the production of cultivated meat.