Reconceptualizing The Ethical Guidelines for Mental Health Apps: Values From Feminism, Disability Studies, and Intercultural Ethics

Matthew Dennis*, Lily Frank*, Arthur Bran Herbener, Michał Klincewicz, Malene Flensborg Damholdt, Anna Puzio, Katherine Bassil, Jessica Stone, Philip Schneidenbach, Shriya Das, Mat Rawsthorne

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperScientific

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Abstract

Existing ethical guidelines that aim to guide the development of mental health apps tend to overemphasize the role of Western conceptual frameworks. While such frameworks have proved to be a useful first step in introducing ethics to a previously unregulated industry, the rapid global uptake of mental health apps requires thinking more deeply about the diverse populations these apps seek to serve. One way to do this is to introduce more intercultural ethical perspectives into app design and the guidelines that aim to encourage best practices. In addition to this, existing ethical guidelines can also benefit from the ethical scholarship from the feminist and disability traditions, both of which highlight specific ethical considerations for vulnerable users. Rethinking the ethical responsibilities of mental health app designers through the prisms of feminism, disability studies, and intercultural philosophy leads us to a more global and inclusive set of ethical considerations in app design. This white paper explores what existing guidelines for the regulation of mental health apps are missing. It also explores how these guidelines could be improved for users who inhabit an increasingly diverse and globalized world.
Original languageEnglish
Number of pages33
Publication statusPublished - 2024

Keywords

  • AI
  • app design
  • conceptional framework
  • disability
  • ethics
  • ICAP
  • inclusive
  • mental health
  • white paper

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