Journal Article

The role of generative artificial intelligence in psychiatric education– a scoping review

Lee, Qin Yuan, Chen, Michelle, Ho, Cyrus Su Hui, Ong, Chi Wei

2025

Overview

Background The growing prevalence of mental health conditions, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, highlights the urgent need for enhanced psychiatric education. The distinctive nature of psychiatry– which is heavily centred on communication skills, interpersonal skills, and interviewing techniques– indicates a necessity for further research into the use of GenAI in psychiatric education. Objective Given GenAI has shown promising outcomes in medical education, this study aims to discuss the possible roles of GenAI in psychiatric education. Methods We conducted a scoping review to identify the role of GenAI in psychiatric education based on the educational framework of the Canadian Medical Education Directives for Specialists (CanMEDS). Results Of the 12,594 papers identified, five studies met the inclusion criteria, revealing key roles for GenAI in case-based learning, simulation, content synthesis, and assessments. Despite these promising applications, limitations such as content accuracy, biases, and concerns regarding security and privacy were highlighted. Conclusions Despite these promising applications, limitations such as content accuracy, biases, and concerns regarding security and privacy have been highlighted. This study contributes to understanding how GenAI can enhance psychiatric education and suggests future research directions to refine its use in training medical students and primary care physicians. GenAI has significant potential to address the growing demand for mental health professionals, provided its limitations are carefully managed.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Artificial Intelligence / Assessment / Canada / Case-based learning / Chatbots / Cognition & reasoning / Cognitive Processes / Computer Simulation / Content synthesis / Course Content / COVID-19 - epidemiology / Database Management Systems / Education / Education, Medical - methods / Educational aspects / Educational Assessment / Educational Objectives / Educational research / Educational Resources / Efficiency / Epidemics / Flow Charts / Generative AI / Generative Artificial Intelligence / Health education / Humans / Illnesses / Independent study / Information Seeking / Instructional Materials / Interpersonal Competence / Interviews / Medical Education / Medical Evaluation / Medical personnel / Medical students / Mental Disorders / Mental health / Meta Analysis / Methods / Modeling (Psychology) / Outcomes of Education / Patients / Physicians / Primary care / Psychiatric education / Psychiatry / Psychiatry - education / Psychological Evaluation / Psychotherapy / Quantitative psychology / SARS-CoV-2 / Simulation / Soft skills / Technology application / Theory of Medicine/Bioethics