New Voices in Psychology

Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Psychological and Mental Health Promotion: An Opinion Piece

2023-09-21T09:03:47+00:00

The digital revolution has made integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into the medical sector easier. AI is currently being used to speed up the detection of diseases in their early stages, facilitate the delineation and understanding of disease variations, and improve optimised treatment protocols. Psychology is no exception, as new role players have emerged, most notably the incorporation of AI into both psychological research and clinical practice. However, there is an apparent unease with AI as a technological breakthrough advancing science in mental health, such as data privacy, national guidelines on the use of AI, successful integration of users into the clinical setting and empathy, compared to human psychologists. Regardless, AI functions in psychology are gradually snowballing. We present an opinion on the impact of AI on improving mental health based on the exploration of available published evidence. We highlight the potential of AI in improving mental health care through mental health disorder detection, diagnosis, treatment, and public health education. The article also discusses the potential challenges and future directions, highlighting the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and developing novel AI-based approaches to improve mental health outcomes.

Knowledge of antipsychotic medication and their side effects among psychiatric nurses at a tertiary hospital in Lesotho

2023-10-26T06:44:56+00:00

Factors that impede the physical health monitoring of patients with severe mental illness are multidimensional, and healthcare providers’ knowledge and expertise regarding antipsychotic medication and side effects remain key determinants of the frequency and quality of screening a patient shall be subjected to. This challenge transcends the monitoring of patients treated with antipsychotics, where scholars have determined a lack of knowledge about screening for adverse effects, resulting in poor clinical assessments among patients prescribed antipsychotics. This study aimed to describe nurses’ knowledge regarding antipsychotic medications and their side effects at the psychiatric hospital in Lesotho. To guide the research process, a quantitative, non-experimental, descriptive approach was employed with 40 nurses out of 44 nurses as respondents, who were selected using convenience sampling, and respondents rated their knowledge regarding the side effects of antipsychotic medication using a Likert scale on a structured research questionnaire. The data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire, analysed using SPSS (version 28), and displayed using tables, frequencies, standard deviations, and means. This study's female respondents comprised 30 (75.0%) and 10 (25.0%) males. The mean age was 39.05 (SD 8.9), with eight years of psychiatry experience. A total of 29 (72.0%) had sufficient antipsychotic knowledge (t = 36.38, df = 39, p < .000), 31 (78.3%) and had adequate knowledge of the side effects of antipsychotic drugs (t = 34.00375, df = 39, p < .000). In conclusion, this study reveals a positive trend in nursing knowledge about antipsychotic medications and associated side effects, highlighting the importance of ongoing professional development to maintain and enhance this expertise.

Psychosocial Stressors Associated with Depression Among Young Adults in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia.

2023-09-22T21:30:50+00:00

The early stage of adulthood is a critical period of interpersonal, educational, and career development, leading to an increased risk of depression. While studies examining psychosocial stressors among depressed young adults have been conducted in developed countries, more efforts are needed to identify the risk factors in developing countries. This study aimed to identify the psychosocial stressors associated with depression among young adults in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia.

This cross-sectional study recruited 341 respondents aged 18 – 40 (mean age 21.7). The Beck Depression Inventory-II were used to identify the level of depression, and the psychosocial stressors were self-reported. Bivariate and multivariate analyses assessed the risk factors of depression.

Results: A total of 39% of participants had severe depression. The level of depression was higher in participants who were government employee (p<.001), were living with a partner(p<.001), and had experienced being bullied (p<.05). Types ofoccupation was a significant predictor (p<.001) of levels of depression, adjusting for socio-demographic factors and other psychosocial stressors. Special attention needs to be placed on promoting mental health among people who live with a partner, have experience of being bullied and those who work in the government sectors in Indonesia.