DIGITAL MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS: A NARRATIVE REVIEW OF TELEPSYCHIATRY AND AI-DRIVEN CHATBOTS IN BURNOUT MITIGATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31435/ijitss.2(50).2026.5736Keywords:
Occupational Burnout, Telepsychiatry, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Health, Healthcare ProfessionalsAbstract
Background: Healthcare professionals face high levels of burnout, depression, anxiety, and occupational stress, which were intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Traditional face-to-face mental health services are often limited by stigma, time constraints, workforce shortages, costs, and restricted accessibility, particularly during public health emergencies.
Objective: This narrative review examines the role of telepsychiatry and AI-driven conversational agents in the digital transformation of workplace mental health support for healthcare professionals.
Methods: A purposive narrative synthesis of 21 peer-reviewed sources published between 2006 and 2025 was conducted. The review focused on occupational burnout and psychological distress among healthcare professionals, telepsychiatry and web-based platforms, AI-driven chatbots, and implementation challenges related to safety, privacy, engagement, digital inequality, and institutional trust.
Results: The reviewed evidence suggests that telepsychiatry can help maintain continuity of care and may provide outcomes comparable to in-person services for common mental health conditions. AI-driven chatbots show promise as low-intensity adjunctive tools for delivering structured cognitive-behavioral, psychoeducational, and resilience-oriented support, particularly for mild-to-moderate distress. However, evidence remains limited by short follow-up periods, heterogeneous interventions, high attrition, reliance on self-reported outcomes, and concerns regarding privacy, safety, and algorithmic transparency.
Conclusion: Digital mental health technologies may contribute to burnout mitigation among healthcare professionals when implemented as part of integrated occupational health strategies. Their responsible use requires clinical oversight, transparent governance, robust privacy safeguards, and attention to engagement, digital inclusion, and professional trust.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Magdalena Lengier, Szymon Zych, Natalia Powęska, Szymon Świstak, Franciszek Cezary Pastuszak, Patrycja Małyszek, Małgorzata Świderska, Jakub Buziak, Julita Papińska, Julia Pielacha
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