AI in psychology

[WisNeuro]

Thanks for the links; I wasn't aware of these tools. Gotta admit, though, a little skeptical of having my articles summarized for me by an algorithm. I already feel guilty enough when I scan the abstracts and skip to the Discussion sections of articles. I'll have to check it out.

"SciSummary (Short for Science Summary) was founded in 2023 to make digestion of scientific articles easier. Using modern AI technology it summarizes articles, allowing you to understand them without having to read the full text."

Makes me wonder if Frank Herbert (Dune author) was engaging in science fiction or science prediction when he wrote:

"Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them."

Yeah, not relying on AI for my article reviews, especially for legal citations. Some lawyers tried to use AI to write up a brief, AI made up legal citations and the lawyers ended up getting censured. Caveat Emptor.

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[Shiori]

I'm still reading the articles. It just helps pull together quick summaries to help me condense lots of information quickly.

Think of it as a plucky intern eager to please. Really helpful sharing the burden of grunt work, sometimes wrong, and often missing the nuance of experience. I'm still going to check its notes and give it feedback when it is wrong. It's not my replacement (yet). It's my assistant.

 

[Sanman]

Yeah, not relying on AI for my article reviews, especially for legal citations. Some lawyers tried to use AI to write up a brief, AI made up legal citations and the lawyers ended up getting censured. Caveat Emptor.

Nor should you. However, the next time someone asks for citations in the midst of an SDN argument...

 

[WisNeuro]

Nor should you. However, the next someone asks for citations in the midst of an SDN argument...

Ha, we need to have two of the AIs debate each other on one of our usual topics.

 

[Shiori]

I just gave ChatGPT this prompt:
"I'm a clinical psychologist trying to explain to a psychology student the misconceptions about the rigidity of CBT. Can you help me with this?"

I won't post the answer because it's pretty long. It was good though!

Then I asked it this:
"Can you speak to the theoretical underpinnings of CBT and how they are often part of the misconception?"

If you're bored on a Friday, it might be fun to play with different prompts.

 

[smalltownpsych]

I just gave ChatGPT this prompt:
"I'm a clinical psychologist trying to explain to a psychology student the misconceptions about the rigidity of CBT. Can you help me with this?"

I won't post the answer because it's pretty long. It was good though!

Then I asked it this:
"Can you speak to the theoretical underpinnings of CBT and how they are often part of the misconception?"

If you're bored on a Friday, it might be fun to play with different prompts.

It would be good to ask it if a student should pay large sums of money to attend a large cohort professional school in psychology. I would ask, but I’m never bored on a Friday or any day for that matter. It seems like I always have more to do than I have time or energy for. Running a business and being a psychologist is a lot of work. I do enjoy it, but whose dumb idea was this? 🤦‍♂️

 

[MiniLop]

It would be good to ask it if a student should pay large sums of money to attend a large cohort professional school in psychology. I would ask, but I’m never bored on a Friday or any day for that matter. It seems like I always have more to do than I have time or energy for. Running a business and being a psychologist is a lot of work. I do enjoy it, but whose dumb idea was this? 🤦‍♂️

You should ask ChatGPC whose dumb idea that was!

 

[calimich]

It would be good to ask it if a student should pay large sums of money to attend a large cohort professional school in psychology. I would ask, but I’m never bored on a Friday or any day for that matter. It seems like I always have more to do than I have time or energy for. Running a business and being a psychologist is a lot of work. I do enjoy it, but whose dumb idea was this? 🤦‍♂️

You should ask ChatGPC whose dumb idea that was!

I asked chatgpt "I'm a licensed psychologist and a tenured faculty member, what should I do next?"
It gave me a list of more work to do, with rationale for each.

I then asked, "What if I just want to skateboard, go to the beach, and spend time with my kids?"
It then gave me a list of self-care activities, with rationale for each.

I felt validated

 

[Shiori]

It would be good to ask it if a student should pay large sums of money to attend a large cohort professional school in psychology. I would ask, but I’m never bored on a Friday or any day for that matter. It seems like I always have more to do than I have time or energy for. Running a business and being a psychologist is a lot of work. I do enjoy it, but whose dumb idea was this? 🤦‍♂️

The responses were fairly generic. It does a better job if you ask for a list of specific red flags to look for.

 

[Shiori]

I asked ChatGPT about differential diagnosis between PTSD, MDD, and GAD. It did an okay job. It did a much better job when I asked how sleep disturbances vary across the disorders.

I joined a group for psychologists exploring AI and have enjoyed seeing what's out there! Once privacy concerns get ironed out more, there are ways to take free form thoughts and turn them into more cohesive and coherent notes. That sounds lovely. I do a lot of stream of consciousness note taking during session and having something else do the heavy lifting of organizing it sounds lovely. I have my templated stuff, but I'd love to have something help more seamlessly integrate the personalized bits too.

 

[clausewitz2]

I would recommend taking a look at Claude2 for those interested in this. Currently free since it's in beta. Did what I think is a reasonable job answering the question "Is EMDR a scam?" although I am sure y'all can find aspects to object to:

"
No, EMDR would not be considered a scam, though its efficacy compared to other therapies continues to be researched. Here are some key points on EMDR and its legitimacy as a psychotherapy approach:

• EMDR was developed in the late 1980s by psychologist Francine Shapiro, based on her observation that eye movements could reduce negative emotions.
• It has a clear theoretical model and established protocols for treatment, training, and certification.
• EMDR is recognized as an evidence-based practice by several organizations like the World Health Organization, American Psychiatric Association, and Department of Defense.
• Multiple meta-analyses and systematic reviews have found EMDR to be effective, especially for treating PTSD. However, the mechanisms behind its effectiveness are still not well understood.
• Critics argue that the eye movement component is unnecessary and that the exposure aspects account for its benefits. Supporters maintain eye movements are an integral part of EMDR's treatment effects.
• EMDR is not miraculous or a "cure all." Proper training and treatment fidelity is required to achieve positive outcomes.
• EMDR integrates elements of other therapies like exposure, cognitive reprocessing, and mindfulness. It is not completely distinct or radical in its approach.
• As with any psychotherapy, individual responses to EMDR vary greatly. The quality of the therapist matters more than the specific type of therapy.

So while more research is still needed, there is no evidence to suggest EMDR is a pseudo-scientific scam. However, exaggerated or unsubstantiated claims about its effects should be viewed skeptically."

 

[Fan_of_Meehl]

I would recommend taking a look at Claude2 for those interested in this. Currently free since it's in beta. Did what I think is a reasonable job answering the question "Is EMDR a scam?" although I am sure y'all can find aspects to object to:

"
No, EMDR would not be considered a scam, though its efficacy compared to other therapies continues to be researched. Here are some key points on EMDR and its legitimacy as a psychotherapy approach:

• EMDR was developed in the late 1980s by psychologist Francine Shapiro, based on her observation that eye movements could reduce negative emotions.
• It has a clear theoretical model and established protocols for treatment, training, and certification.
• EMDR is recognized as an evidence-based practice by several organizations like the World Health Organization, American Psychiatric Association, and Department of Defense.
• Multiple meta-analyses and systematic reviews have found EMDR to be effective, especially for treating PTSD. However, the mechanisms behind its effectiveness are still not well understood.
• Critics argue that the eye movement component is unnecessary and that the exposure aspects account for its benefits. Supporters maintain eye movements are an integral part of EMDR's treatment effects.
• EMDR is not miraculous or a "cure all." Proper training and treatment fidelity is required to achieve positive outcomes.
• EMDR integrates elements of other therapies like exposure, cognitive reprocessing, and mindfulness. It is not completely distinct or radical in its approach.
• As with any psychotherapy, individual responses to EMDR vary greatly. The quality of the therapist matters more than the specific type of therapy.

So while more research is still needed, there is no evidence to suggest EMDR is a pseudo-scientific scam. However, exaggerated or unsubstantiated claims about its effects should be viewed skeptically."

Ask it if VA psychotherapists are generally happy with their job.

 

[clausewitz2]

Ask it if VA psychotherapists are generally happy with their job.

Ask and you shall receive:

"
There is limited research specifically on job satisfaction among VA psychotherapists, but here is a summary of what evidence is available:

- A 2015 survey of over 6,000 VA mental health staff found above average job satisfaction compared to other VA roles. Psychologists and social workers reported higher satisfaction than psychiatrists.

- Factors associated with higher VA mental health staff satisfaction included having greater autonomy, providing more therapy, treating fewer patients, and working on integrated teams.

- A 2019 study of VA clinical psychologists found moderately high levels of career satisfaction related to aspects like helping veterans, intellectual challenge, and work-life balance.

- However, a 2021 survey highlighted areas of dissatisfaction among VA psychologists including low pay, lack of advancement, excessive administrative burdens, and limited training resources.

- Burnout risk may also be elevated among VA mental health staff handling high patient volumes and complex trauma disorders.

- Satisfaction can vary based on work setting within the VA system - e.g. higher in outpatient clinics vs large hospitals.

- Overall, VA psychotherapists appear to derive significant meaning from helping veterans which boosts their job satisfaction. But organizational and workplace factors may diminish satisfaction.

More research directly sampling job attitudes of VA psychotherapists across disciplines could provide clearer insights into their sources of professional fulfillment and frustrations."

 

[Shiori]

We had leadership come talk with us about how we felt about things. I asked ChatGPT a bunch of questions to see if it could help me collect my thoughts. Here is some of what it said:

Can you give more information about 1? <--me asking for more information from a previous question

Certainly! The bureaucratic and administrative challenges in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) can be a point of contention for many healthcare providers, including psychologists. Here's a deeper dive into this:

1. Complex Approval Processes: In large government-run organizations like the VHA, there can be multiple layers of approval for various decisions, ranging from treatment plans to research initiatives. This can delay patient care and frustrate professionals who are used to more streamlined processes.
2. Paperwork and Documentation: High levels of required documentation can lead to clinicians spending a disproportionate amount of time on paperwork instead of direct patient care.
3. Regulatory Restrictions: The VHA operates under a set of federal regulations which might not always align with the perceived immediate needs of the patients or the preferred approach of the psychologist.
4. Resource Allocation: Given its vast nature and the vast number of veterans it serves, the VHA sometimes faces challenges in resource allocation. A psychologist might feel there aren't enough resources (like staff, time, or tools) to adequately address the needs of their patients.
5. Technology and Systems: While the VHA has made significant strides in updating its systems, there can be frustrations with outdated technology or the integration of new technologies.
6. Communication Channels: Navigating the communication hierarchy in such a large organization can be challenging. Getting necessary information from other departments or coordinating care can sometimes be more time-consuming than in smaller healthcare settings.
7. Policy Shifts: As a government entity, the VHA can experience shifts in policies and priorities based on changes in the broader political landscape. Adapting to these shifts can be challenging for on-the-ground staff.

It's worth noting that while bureaucracy can be a challenge, it exists for reasons such as ensuring standardized care, maintaining patient safety, and ensuring the responsible use of taxpayer funds. However, the trade-off is that it can sometimes slow processes and be a source of frustration for healthcare providers accustomed to more agile systems.

Are there reasons they leave bhip? <--me

The term "BHIP" within the context of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) refers to the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program. This program emphasizes team-based care in mental health services, with teams consisting of various professionals such as psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and others, all collaborating to provide comprehensive care to veterans.
Reasons for psychologists (and other professionals) to leave BHIP might overlap with reasons for leaving the VHA in general but can also have unique aspects due to the team-based nature of the program:

1. Team Dynamics: In any team-based setting, the dynamics and interpersonal relationships play a crucial role. Conflicts, differing treatment philosophies, or communication issues within the team can be a significant source of stress.
2. Role Clarity: In interdisciplinary settings, there might be occasional confusion or overlap in roles and responsibilities, which can lead to frustrations or feelings of redundancy.
3. Caseload Management: The demand for mental health services can result in high caseloads, even within a team-based model, leading to potential burnout.
4. Administrative Burdens: As with the broader VHA, paperwork, documentation requirements, and bureaucratic processes can be challenging.
5. Desire for Autonomy: Some professionals prefer more individualistic or autonomous settings where they have greater control over their approach to care.
6. Training and Development Opportunities: There might be a perception that specialized training or professional development opportunities are limited in a team-based, interdisciplinary setting.
7. Emotional Toll: As with any mental health position within the VHA, working with veterans who have complex trauma histories can be emotionally taxing.
8. Compensation and Benefits: Some might perceive better opportunities for compensation or benefits outside of the BHIP or VHA system.
9. Career Advancement: Concerns about limited opportunities for advancement or specialization can be a factor.
10. Alternative Opportunities: As mentioned earlier, opportunities in private practice, academia, or other healthcare sectors might lure professionals away from the BHIP.

It's important to highlight that many professionals find the BHIP's collaborative, team-based approach rewarding and effective for patient care. The reasons listed above represent potential factors but don't apply universally to everyone working within the BHIP.

 

[Harry3990]

I’m curious if anyone on here has tried any of the newer healthcare oriented AIs? I’ve heard of some using Notezap and BastionGPT primarily for note and report writing assistance.

Wondering specifically what people’s experiences have been if they’ve used AI for documentation? Also, regardless if you’ve tried them, where are peoples opinion of using these healthcare targeted AI’s now that this is going more mainstream (and claims to be hippa compliant)?

 

[Shiori]

The VA has a SharePoint for AI, so I have my fingers crossed that we'll start using it more formally. I had have good experiences with it when writing notes. Since we don't have anything HIPAA compliant, I will just ask for generic suggestions. I'll ask for things like "in my psychotherapy documentation, what is a therapeutic way of saying a veteran may be exaggerating their symptoms for secondary gain?" On a Friday afternoon at 3:00pm, sometimes it's hard to think. It'll spit out nice little phrases like these:

"There appears to be an inconsistency between the reported severity of symptoms and observable behavior/functional impairment."
"Additional assessment may be warranted to clarify the full extent and nature of the reported symptoms."
"Exploring potential underlying motivations or needs could help contextualize the clinical presentation."

I also use it for generic language related to treatment planning or general therapeutic techniques used in session. It's nice to quickly create dot phrases. I can get really wordy, and I'll ask it clarify a thought before added in any identifying information. I use AI all the time for mundane stuff so I can focus on more mentally taxing tasks.

 

[Harry3990]

The VA has a SharePoint for AI, so I have my fingers crossed that we'll start using it more formally. I had have good experiences with it when writing notes. Since we don't have anything HIPAA compliant, I will just ask for generic suggestions. I'll ask for things like "in my psychotherapy documentation, what is a therapeutic way of saying a veteran may be exaggerating their symptoms for secondary gain?" On a Friday afternoon at 3:00pm, sometimes it's hard to think. It'll spit out nice little phrases like these:

"There appears to be an inconsistency between the reported severity of symptoms and observable behavior/functional impairment."
"Additional assessment may be warranted to clarify the full extent and nature of the reported symptoms."
"Exploring potential underlying motivations or needs could help contextualize the clinical presentation."

I also use it for generic language related to treatment planning or general therapeutic techniques used in session. It's nice to quickly create dot phrases. I can get really wordy, and I'll ask it clarify a thought before added in any identifying information. I use AI all the time for mundane stuff so I can focus on more mentally taxing tasks.

I will definitely have to give this sort of thing a try. I like the idea of using it to quickly get through a brain hiccup in the middle of a task, especially because for me these can often initiate some periods of procrastination or distraction.

 

[BuckeyeLove]

this **** would never stand up in a daubert hearing (or frye) at this point. Likely never.

 

[ThatPsyGuy]

I was listening to my daily news and heard a brief NPR piece about a company attempting to use AI to make filing disability claims easier:
Artificial intelligence may help to make the VA claims filing process easier

Was wondering if there were any applications for this on the more "mental health" side

 

[Shiori]

LLMs are making the news and not in promising ways. I think chatbots are helpful to help write my very boring emails and quickly pull together the popular literature for a topic. I am seeing a worrying number of companies hop on the AI hype train. It is way too buggy to "integrate" into anything. It's been a wild ride to watch over the last several months.

 

[Shiori]

Academic authors 'shocked' after Taylor & Francis sells access to their research to Microsoft AI

I wouldn't call myself shocked.

 

[Shiori]

I have been enjoying this new toy:

Google NotebookLM | Note Taking & Research Assistant Powered by AI

Use the power of AI for quick summarization and note taking, NotebookLM is your powerful virtual research assistant rooted in information you can trust.

notebooklm.google

The fanciest thing it can do is create a little mini podcast with the information you give it. I gave it some of my own research articles to pull from, so I could get a sense of its accuracy. It's pretty impressive. The hosts even seem to have some chemistry, which I can't say for all human podcasts. It's pretty fun!

 

[Fan_of_Meehl]

I have been enjoying this new toy:

Google NotebookLM | Note Taking & Research Assistant Powered by AI

Use the power of AI for quick summarization and note taking, NotebookLM is your powerful virtual research assistant rooted in information you can trust.

notebooklm.google

The fanciest thing it can do is create a little mini podcast with the information you give it. I gave it some of my own research articles to pull from, so I could get a sense of its accuracy. It's pretty impressive. The hosts even seem to have some chemistry, which I can't say for all human podcasts. It's pretty fun!

I asked it if, as a clinician, I should necessarily freak the hell out and consider my patient to be at 'High Risk' for imminent suicide (and take immediate protective action) if they circled a '1' for Item 9 on the PHQ-9. The empirically-informed little silicon bastard said 'no.'

At least it's more sophisticated and 'evidence-based' than an expensive, multi-expert-empanelled OIG investigation.

But...seriously,

I'm starting to cotton to the idea of replacing 80+% of non-practicing MH admininstrators and 'expertologists' in the VA system with machine learning algorithms that--despite their flaws and 'garbage-in, garbage-out' issues--at least they are not primarily driven by public-relations, fear-based, overly-emotional/irrational, butt-kissing, ladder-climbing, slogan-spitting, blatantly nepotistic decisionmaking processes.

 

[ThatPsyGuy]

I asked it if, as a clinician, I should necessarily freak the hell out and consider my patient to be at 'High Risk' for imminent suicide (and take immediate protective action) if they circled a '1' for Item 9 on the PHQ-9. The empirically-informed little silicon bastard said 'no.'

At least it's more sophisticated and 'evidence-based' than an expensive, multi-expert-empanelled OIG investigation.

But...seriously,

I'm starting to cotton to the idea of replacing 80+% of non-practicing MH admininstrators and 'expertologists' in the VA system with machine learning algorithms that--despite their flaws and 'garbage-in, garbage-out' issues--at least they are not primarily driven by public-relations, fear-based, overly-emotional/irrational, butt-kissing, ladder-climbing, slogan-spitting, blatantly nepotistic decisionmaking processes.

Well, the big thing about NotebookLM is that it pulls information and replies to you based on the sources you input into it.

I'm pretty sure if you put in 20 articles+ into it, it can give you a fairly comprehensive research proposal outline w/references and points to improve on.

Quick check, I did. And it does do it. The podcast was neat too

 

[clausewitz2]

I put one of my thoroughly de-identified intake notes into a Notebook and made a podcast. I have definitely been in case conferences that were less insightful. Still not a substitute for a discussion with someone really experienced or sophisticated or proper supervision, but not bad at all. Major problem is that because of the training data they do spend more time talking about the generalities of the particular DSM diagnoses than I'd like but still gets into plenty of specifics.

EDIT: It also successfully identifies which bits of history really do count as Criterion A traumata and which were upsetting/challenging but don't.

 

[smalltownpsych]

I put one of my thoroughly de-identified intake notes into a Notebook and made a podcast. I have definitely been in case conferences that were less insightful. Still not a substitute for a discussion with someone really experienced or sophisticated or proper supervision, but not bad at all. Major problem is that because of the training data they do spend more time talking about the generalities of the particular DSM diagnoses than I'd like but still gets into plenty of specifics.

EDIT: It also successfully identifies which bits of history really do count as Criterion A traumata and which were upsetting/challenging but don't.

That last part sounds like it does better than most clinicians out there.