Artificial intelligence in the era of planetary health: insights on its application for the climate change-mental health nexus in the Philippines

Abstract

This review explores the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the light of evolving threats to planetary health, particularly the dangers posed by the climate crisis and its emerging mental health impacts, in the context of a climate-vulnerable country such as the Philippines. This paper describes the country’s mental health system, outlines the chronic systemic challenges that it faces, and discusses the intensifying and widening impacts of climate change on mental health. Integrated mental healthcare must be part of the climate adaptation response, particularly for vulnerable populations. AI holds promise for mental healthcare in the Philippines, and be a tool that can potentially aid in addressing the shortage of mental health professionals, improve service accessibility, and provide direct services in climate-affected communities. However, the incorporation of AI into mental healthcare also presents significant challenges, such as potentially worsening the existing mental health inequities due to unequal access to resources and technologies, data privacy concerns, and potential AI algorithm biases. It is crucial to approach AI integration with ethical consideration and responsible implementation to harness its benefits, mitigate potential risks, and ensure inclusivity in mental healthcare delivery, especially in the era of a warming planet.

Keywords:

• Artificial intelligence
• mental health
• climate change
• Philippines

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Informed consent and ethical approval are not necessary for this work. No human participant was involved.

Authors’ contributions

RCA, JJBRA, KAS, RRG contributed substantially to the conceptualization, drafting, and revision of the work. Likewise, all the authors gave their final approval of the work.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no competing interest.

Additional information

Funding

No financial support was received for this study.