Mental health in the age of AI

Digital tools can help amid manpower shortage at public health institutions

- Joyce Teo

It is generally a two-month wait to see a psychiatrist at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) outpatient clinic.

So, to help patients through the dry spell between sessions, the hospital is studying if it can use a locally developed AI-powered app that, among other things, provides guided meditation and is able to predict the user's stress level.

Since May 2025, IMH has offered the AmDTx app, or a placebo app, to individuals referred by a GP or a polyclinic doctor to the institute, to participate in the trial.

"Coping skills such as deep breathing and sleep hygiene can help one manage stress, or even symptoms of anxiety and depression. They can learn these from the app and start the interventions first. This will hopefully reduce their distress while waiting to see the specialist," said Dr Christopher Cheok, a senior consultant at IMH and director of national mindline 1771, Singapore's first helpline and text service for mental health.

Dr Cheok said the long wait times in public mental healthcare are because of rising demand and limited manpower.

IMH is also exploring the use of other apps to monitor and support the care of mental health conditions, including one approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

In general, digital tools include AI-enabled chatbots, mobile apps, wearable devices, and web-based programmes. Apps may be able to assist in cognitive behavioural therapy, detect depression risk in the user's voice, and more, experts here say.

Some of these tools can be seen at an exhibition on digital mental health, organised by the Yeo Boon Khim Mind Science Centre and D.S. Lee Foundation Mind Art Experiential Lab (MAELab), which opened at the MAELab space in Alexandra Hospital on July 11.

While the centre said it does not endorse any of the tools, they demonstrate the potential of digital and AI-powered technology.

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