When Help Gets Stuck in the System: Could AI Therapy Be the Solution to the Mental Health Crisis?

## Introduction Norwegian authorities have increased resources for mental health services for several years, but for many patients the outcomes are lacking. Queues, long diagnostic processes and exhausted staff characterize everyday life — and the waiting time to get help from a psychologist is long. According to Aftenposten, "Norway spends more money on mental health than any other country in the world," while "the queues for psychiatric treatment are still long" and "psychiatrists spend almost half of their time behind a screen." This article analyses why increased investments do not lead to better treatment offerings, and examines how new technology — and especially AI therapy — can become a supplement or solution to the challenges of the mental health crisis, the shortage of psychologists and long waiting lists. ## Why resources don't produce the expected effect Debate about health economics often assumes that more money produces better services. But as reported in Aftenposten: "Norway spends more money on mental health than any other country in the world" — yet we still see persistent queues and high excess mortality among people with severe mental illness. Resources disappear into complex, bureaucratic systems and standardized procedures that require time-consuming administration. When clinical work is replaced by forms, checklists and repeated measurements, capacity for direct patient contact is reduced. This worsens the problem of psychologist waiting lists and mental health treatment time, because professionals cannot use their time optimally. ## Bureaucratisation and record-keeping: the hidden cost of efficiency A central problem is that documentation requirements have gone too far. When "the intention is good, but when the focus becomes documenting that things are done rather than doing good clinical work, things go wrong," traceability is prioritised over patient-centered quality. This increases treatment time per patient, contributes to staff burnout and fragments care pathways. Many patients face a battery of forms and receive poorer follow-up. Here, AI technology and digital solutions can play a decisive role. For example, automated record-keeping, intelligent checklists and digital assessment tools can simplify and streamline work so clinicians have more time for patients — and patients receive faster and better follow-up. ## Misunderstood interdisciplinarity: a time sink in practice Interdisciplinarity is positive in principle, but in practice it has become a time sink. When everything must be discussed across disciplines, much capacity is used on meetings and coordination rather than treatment. This leads to longer waiting times, especially for those waiting for a psychologist. AI-based tools can help distribute tasks more intelligently, for example through automated intake assessments, risk assessments or patient prioritisation. AI can make an initial evaluation of who needs urgent help and who can be offered low-threshold digital services or AI therapy before getting a slot with a psychologist or specialist. This way resources can be allocated more effectively and treatment times shortened. ## Long assessments and decision paralysis: can AI therapy shorten waiting times? Long, form-based assessments and decision paralysis postpone the start of treatment. Instead of waiting for extensive assessments and manual evaluation, AI therapy and digital solutions can offer fast, low-threshold support to patients. Examples from abroad show that digital therapy tools, chatbots and AI-assisted conversations can help many with mild to moderate mental health issues — either as a supplement to traditional treatment or as a temporary solution while waiting for a psychologist. For patients on waiting lists this can mean receiving help earlier, preventing symptom deterioration, and experiencing greater security during the care process. ## Shortage of psychologists and waiting lists: supplement or systemic failure? Waiting lists for psychologists and the shortage of specialists are due to both capacity problems and organisational inefficiency. Hiring more psychologists helps little if task division is poor. Here AI therapy and digital treatment forms can be an important supplement. Digital solutions can relieve psychologists so they can focus on the most complex cases, while AI therapy can support those with milder conditions or be used as preparation for talk therapy. This can shorten waiting times, improve mental health treatment times, and ensure more people receive help faster. At the same time, digital and AI-based offerings must be carefully evaluated for quality and safety, and should be an addition rather than a replacement for traditional treatment. ## Political initiatives: need for innovation and digital investment Political proposals have often relied on more staff and bigger budgets, but without fixing the underlying system errors. To move forward, health authorities must invest in innovation, digitalisation and smarter organisation. Regulatory simplification, clear role distribution and incentives for using AI tools and digital treatment forms should be introduced. It is important to quality-assure such solutions, but experiences from countries like the UK and the Netherlands show that AI therapy can be safe and effective for large patient groups. Policymakers should therefore invest in pilot projects with AI therapy and low-threshold digital services to reduce waiting lists and ensure better mental health treatment times. ### Examples of concrete measures To reduce waiting lists and improve treatment times, the following should be considered: 1. Simplify reporting requirements and automate record-keeping through AI. 2. Use AI for initial assessment and prioritisation of patients so those with the greatest need receive prompt help. 3. Offer AI therapy and digital self-help tools to patients with mild to moderate conditions. 4. Strengthen low-threshold services and digital support in municipalities. 5. Evaluate the effect of digital and AI-based solutions on patient satisfaction and health outcomes. These measures can help address the ongoing mental health crisis, reduce psychologist waiting lists and improve treatment times, while freeing capacity among psychologists and specialists. ## Consequences for patients: AI therapy can reduce waiting times and improve outcomes For patients, today's system carries heavy human costs: worsening symptoms, increased suicide risk, loss of work capacity and increased social isolation. When the system cannot convert resources into actual treatment, society pays a high price. By adopting AI therapy and digital solutions as a supplement to traditional treatment, more people can get help earlier. This can cut waiting times, increase patient satisfaction and improve health outcomes. Naturally, such solutions must be quality-assured and tailored to different patient groups' needs, but the potential to make mental health care more accessible — without patients having to wait months for a psychologist — is great. ## Conclusion: AI therapy as a supplement — smarter use of resources The analysis builds on the op-ed's main point: more money alone will not produce better services if the system is inefficient. The solution is not just more staff, but smarter organisation and innovation. AI therapy and digital tools should be regarded as a supplement to current services — not a replacement, but an important contribution to reducing waiting times, making better use of psychologists' expertise and ensuring more people get help. For patients this means faster access, more tailored support and better outcomes. For politicians and health leaders it means prioritising innovation and digitalisation in addition to budgets and staffing. In this way we can address the challenges of the mental health crisis, the shortage of psychologists and mental health treatment times in a more sustainable way. ## Sources - Aftenposten, "Why do we get so little out of the money in Norwegian psychiatry? Five proposals for improvement", published 2025-08-03. URL: https://www.aftenposten.no/meninger/kronikk/i/JbqyjR/hvorfor-faar-vi-saa-lite-ut-av-pengene-i-norsk-psykiatri-fem-forslag-til-forbedring (Quote and summary taken from the op-ed: "Norway spends more money on mental health than any other country in the world", "psychiatrists spend almost half of their time behind a screen", and references to long assessments and misunderstood interdisciplinarity.)