Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Ethical Issues01:27

Ethical Issues

2.3K
Nurses are essential in patient care, upholding the ethical principles of their profession and effectively navigating ethical dilemmas. Neglecting ethical issues can lead to inadequate patient care, compromised therapeutic relationships, and moral distress among healthcare workers.
Ethical Concerns in Healthcare:
2.3K
Ethics in Research01:56

Ethics in Research

25.8K
Today, scientists agree that good research is ethical in nature and is guided by a basic respect for human dignity and safety. However, this has not always been the case. Modern researchers must demonstrate that the research they perform is ethically sound.
25.8K
Psychotherapy01:28

Psychotherapy

537
Psychotherapy is a versatile, nonmedical approach aimed at helping individuals address emotional, behavioral, and interpersonal issues to enhance their overall well-being. It can involve one-on-one sessions, couples counseling, or small group discussions with a therapist. The therapeutic process includes various techniques such as open discussion, interpretation of thoughts and behaviors, active listening, positive reinforcement, and role modeling. Psychotherapy aims to support individuals in...
537
Interpersonal Psychotherapy01:25

Interpersonal Psychotherapy

405
Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) is a structured, time-limited therapeutic approach initially developed to treat depression. It integrates key concepts from psychodynamic, humanistic, and cognitive-behavioral therapies, making it a uniquely eclectic framework. The therapy is rooted in the interpersonal theories of Adolph Meyer and Harry Stack Sullivan, as well as John Bowlby's attachment theory, and focuses on the interplay between interpersonal relationships and emotional well-being.
405
Elements Crucial for Effective Psychotherapy01:25

Elements Crucial for Effective Psychotherapy

355
Research has highlighted several critical factors that influence the effectiveness of psychotherapy, such as the therapeutic alliance, the therapist, and the client.
The Therapeutic Alliance
The therapeutic alliance refers to the relationship between the therapist and the client. The alliance strengthens when the therapist and the client engage in a nurturing, supportive, trusting, empathetic, and respectful relationship, improving therapeutic outcomes. Therapists must monitor this relationship...
355
Strategies for Assessing and Addressing Confounding01:25

Strategies for Assessing and Addressing Confounding

420
Confounding is a critical issue in epidemiological studies, often leading to misleading conclusions about associations between exposures and outcomes. It occurs when the relationship between the exposure and the outcome is mixed with the effects of other factors that influence the outcome. Given that, addressing confounding is of high importance for drawing accurate inferences in research.
Confounding can be addressed at both the design phase of a study and through analytical methods after data...
420

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Mobile Health and Deresponsibilization.

The American journal of bioethics : AJOB·2026
Same author

Realizing the Promise of Mobile Health Tools for Improved Healthcare Access.

The American journal of bioethics : AJOB·2026
Same author

Ambient Intelligence, Surveillance, and Justice.

The American journal of bioethics : AJOB·2026
Same author

The Need for Systems-Level Approaches to Reducing Wait Times for Mental Health Care.

The American journal of bioethics : AJOB·2025
Same author

Building health systems capable of leveraging AI: applying Paul Farmer's 5S framework for equitable global health.

BMC global and public health·2025
Same author

Re-thinking the Ethics of International Bioethics Conferencing.

The American journal of bioethics : AJOB·2024
Same journal

From Alliance to Nexus: Rethinking Digital Therapeutic Relationships.

JMIR mental health·2026
Same journal

Governing Ethical Tensions in Youth Digital Mental Health Research.

JMIR mental health·2026
Same journal

Use of a Conversational Agent for Training Mental Health Professionals in Suicide Safety Planning: Pilot Feasibility and Acceptability Study.

JMIR mental health·2026
Same journal

Coproduction Without Youth? Closing the Participation Gap in Digital Mental Health Research.

JMIR mental health·2026
Same journal

Functional Outcome Prediction in Young Adults With Mental Health Symptoms Using Machine Learning and Large Language Models: Longitudinal Observational Study.

JMIR mental health·2026
Same journal

Using AI to Detect Psychosis Relapse: Scoping Review.

JMIR mental health·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 11, 2026

Digital Home-Monitoring of Patients after Kidney Transplantation: The MACCS Platform
07:13

Digital Home-Monitoring of Patients after Kidney Transplantation: The MACCS Platform

Published on: April 12, 2021

5.3K

Ethical Issues for Direct-to-Consumer Digital Psychotherapy Apps: Addressing Accountability, Data Protection, and

Nicole Martinez-Martin1, Karola Kreitmair1

  • 1Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics, Stanford, CA, United States.

JMIR Mental Health
|April 25, 2018
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) digital psychotherapy services offer improved access but lack regulation. This raises ethical concerns regarding user safety, privacy, and accountability in unregulated mental health care apps.

Keywords:
ethical issuesethicsmHealthmental healthpsychotherapytechnologytelemedicine

More Related Videos

Using a Virtual Store As a Research Tool to Investigate Consumer In-store Behavior
09:17

Using a Virtual Store As a Research Tool to Investigate Consumer In-store Behavior

Published on: July 24, 2017

11.9K
Using an Automated Hirschberg Test App to Evaluate Ocular Alignment
05:40

Using an Automated Hirschberg Test App to Evaluate Ocular Alignment

Published on: March 24, 2020

15.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 11, 2026

Digital Home-Monitoring of Patients after Kidney Transplantation: The MACCS Platform
07:13

Digital Home-Monitoring of Patients after Kidney Transplantation: The MACCS Platform

Published on: April 12, 2021

5.3K
Using a Virtual Store As a Research Tool to Investigate Consumer In-store Behavior
09:17

Using a Virtual Store As a Research Tool to Investigate Consumer In-store Behavior

Published on: July 24, 2017

11.9K
Using an Automated Hirschberg Test App to Evaluate Ocular Alignment
05:40

Using an Automated Hirschberg Test App to Evaluate Ocular Alignment

Published on: March 24, 2020

15.9K

Area of Science:

  • Digital Health
  • Mental Healthcare Ethics
  • Consumer Protection

Background:

  • Direct-to-consumer (DTC) digital psychotherapy services aim to increase access to mental health care.
  • These services often operate without the oversight of licensed mental health professionals.
  • Existing regulations are insufficient to address the unique ethical challenges posed by these platforms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the ethical challenges associated with DTC digital psychotherapy services.
  • To highlight the absence of professional oversight and its implications for user protection.
  • To identify the need for regulatory frameworks and further research.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of ethical considerations in unregulated digital mental health services.
  • Review of the differences between traditional therapy and DTC digital platforms.
  • Identification of specific DTC service models, including those using nonprofessional counselors and AI.

Main Results:

  • DTC digital psychotherapy services lack clear accountability and ethical obligations compared to traditional therapy.
  • Concerns regarding user safety, privacy, and data protection are exacerbated by inadequate regulation.
  • Services connecting users to minimally trained counselors or AI-driven platforms present significant ethical risks.

Conclusions:

  • There is a critical need for adequate oversight of DTC nonprofessional psychotherapy services.
  • Further empirical research is required to inform policy development for consumer protection.
  • Ethical guidelines and regulations are necessary to ensure the safe and responsible provision of digital mental health services.