Artificial Intelligence in Clinical Psychology: Efficacy, Ethical Challenges, and Pathways for Responsible Integration

Artificial intelligence (AI) in clinical psychology presents possible answers to worldwide mental health issues, such as therapist shortages and accessibility obstacles. The results of more than 25 recent research (2023–2026) are summarized in this study, which emphasizes the modest effectiveness of AI chatbots in lowering short-term symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression in a variety of settings. However, there are still a number of unresolved research gaps, such as a lack of long-term data, homogeneous populations, few large-scale RCT, and inadequate ethical frameworks. Generalizability is limited by factors like self-reported measures and small sample numbers. Future initiatives will focus on rigorous trials, culturally sensitive tools, and hybrid human-AI models. In the end, AI should support human therapists rather than take their place in order to provide fair and moral mental health treatment.