The World Health Organization drew up the ‘Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2020’ in 2013 and extended it in 2021 until 2030, aimed at promoting the prevention of risks related to the psychological health of human beings. “Reducing the level of psychological distress and mental disorders in the population has positive repercussions on the entire country, both in terms of social interaction and in terms of productivity and resilience of the national system. The growing intervention of digital technologies in the relationship between patient and professional on the one hand it facilitates the meeting of supply and demand, on the other (as in the case of artificial intelligence) they allow the temporary replacement of one of the two subjects”. This is highlighted by the 36th Eurispes Italy Report, published today. “Digital technologies – indicates the report – require a change of pace for society towards a hyper-connected and interconnected future. However, this must not lead to a stasis of public institutions”.
“As indicated by the Unicef report (The condition of children in the European Union in 2024) – recalls Eurispes – 11 million infants and young people in the various EU countries suffer from problems related to mental well-being. The most significant concentration is in population between 15 and 19 years old, who experience illnesses such as anxiety and depression. If on the one hand the reason for this discomfort derives precisely from the use of technologies, on the other hand technology could allow healthy development for every young individual in our country. “.
The entry of AI “seems to radically change the possibilities for preventing and treating mental disorders”, writes Eurispes. “On the one hand it allows the creation of dialogic digital interfaces which, by communicating via chat or voice, are able to ‘listen’ and ‘support’ individuals in moments of fragility. These tools allow us to recognize the mental state and facilitate connection with professionals who can support them in the short or long term”. But the report also highlights the critical issues: “These benefits are combined on the one hand with the risk of dependence on artificial intelligence, up to the user’s need to find support in every decision; on the other, the risk connected to both privacy of the individual and to the conformation of the algorithms and the machine’s ways of learning and processing information”.
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