title: AI meets psychology: an exploratory study of large language models’ competence in psychotherapy contexts

authors: Tan, Kean Sian

abstract: The increasing prevalence of mental health problems coupled with limited access to professional support has prompted exploration of technological solutions. Large Language Models (LLMs) represent a potential tool to address these challenges, yet their capabilities in psychotherapeutic contexts remain unclear. This study examined the competencies of current LLMs in psychotherapy-related tasks including alignment with evidence-informed clinical standards in case formulation, treatment planning, and implementation. Using an exploratory mixed-methods design, we presented three clinical cases (depression, anxiety, stress) and 12 therapy-related prompts to seven LLMs: ChatGPT-4o, ChatGPT-4, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Claude 3 Opus, Meta Llama 3.1, Google Gemini 1.5 Pro, and Microsoft Co-pilot. Responses were evaluated by five experienced clinical psychologists using quantitative ratings and qualitative feedback. No single model consistently produced high-quality responses across all tasks, though different models showed distinct strengths. Models performed better in structured tasks such as determining session length and discussing goal-setting but struggled with integrative clinical reasoning and treatment implementation. Higher-rated responses demonstrated clinical humility, maintained therapeutic boundaries, and recognised therapy as collaborative. Current LLMs are more promising as supportive tools for clinicians than as therapeutic applications. This paper highlights key areas for development needed to enhance clinical reasoning abilities for effective mental health use.

text: AI meets psychology: an exploratory study of large language models’ competence in psychotherapy contexts The increasing prevalence of mental health problems coupled with limited access to professional support has prompted exploration of technological solutions. Large Language Models (LLMs) represent a potential tool to address these challenges, yet their capabilities in psychotherapeutic contexts remain unclear. This study examined the competencies of current LLMs in psychotherapy-related tasks including alignment with evidence-informed clinical standards in case formulation, treatment planning, and implementation. Using an exploratory mixed-methods design, we presented three clinical cases (depression, anxiety, stress) and 12 therapy-related prompts to seven LLMs: ChatGPT-4o, ChatGPT-4, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Claude 3 Opus, Meta Llama 3.1, Google Gemini 1.5 Pro, and Microsoft Co-pilot. Responses were evaluated by five experienced clinical psychologists using quantitative ratings and qualitative feedback. No single model consistently produced high-quality responses across all tasks, though different models showed distinct strengths. Models performed better in structured tasks such as determining session length and discussing goal-setting but struggled with integrative clinical reasoning and treatment implementation. Higher-rated responses demonstrated clinical humility, maintained therapeutic boundaries, and recognised therapy as collaborative. Current LLMs are more promising as supportive tools for clinicians than as therapeutic applications. This paper highlights key areas for development needed to enhance clinical reasoning abilities for effective mental health use.

year: 2025

title: Supply Chain Integration: A Case-based Investigation of Status, Barriers, and Paths to Enhancement.

authors: Boehme, Tillmann

subjects: supplier relationship management

abstract: In a global marketplace supply chain integration is recognised to be one of today's competitive advantages; where the aim is to optimise material- and information-flows inside the focal company and also across supply chain companies. However, many academics report that such supply chain excellence is still rare, and that guidance is missing on how supply chain integration is achieved in practise. This exploratory research utilised a stepwise methodology to investigate pathways to supply chain integration. First, a suitable investigation method was identified and further developed, before being used to assess the current status of supply chain integration in New Zealand. Next, because removal of barriers is recognised to be crucial, the internal and external barriers to supply chain integration were investigated. Finally, longitudinal case studies were used to investigate ways of supply chain integration enhancement and to develop a deeper and more complete understanding of current integration status, barriers, and ways of enhancement. In total, some 240 person days were spent in eleven different companies from multiple industry sectors to investigate supply chain integration in practise.

Current practises of a large sample of New Zealand value streams were evaluated using the Quick Scan Audit Methodology. The Quick Scan Audit Methodology is carried out by a team of researchers (investigator triangulation) which utilise multiple and rigorous data collection techniques and methods (data- and method triangulation). The research revealed that supply chain integration practise rarely resembles the theoretical ideal and, similarly, seldom do available supply chain integration models reflect reality. Also, New Zealand value streams are significantly less integrated on the customer side compared to the supplier side. Further, every case company was found to face significant barriers to supply chain integration. Managerial, socio-cultural factors are the major obstacles to internal supply chain integration resulting in functional silos. Similarly, power and dependency issues limit the levels of integration achieved externally.
 
The research revealed that good top management support and favourable external dependencies offer the best setting for enhancing supply chain integration in practise. However, if a focal company lacks top management support and/or has an unfavourable dependency structure, the focal company chooses the path of least resistance when integrating its supply chain. Also, supply chain managers and change agents address people factors and cultural change first, before addressing either internal process issues or external relationship issues; after which communication technology upgrades are addressed. Finally, this exploratory study yielded some early insights that the speed of supply chain integration development in practise follows a learning curve trajectory.

text: Supply Chain Integration: A Case-based Investigation of Status, Barriers, and Paths to Enhancement. In a global marketplace supply chain integration is recognised to be one of today's competitive advantages; where the aim is to optimise material- and information-flows inside the focal company and also across supply chain companies. However, many academics report that such supply chain excellence is still rare, and that guidance is missing on how supply chain integration is achieved in practise. This exploratory research utilised a stepwise methodology to investigate pathways to supply chain integration. First, a suitable investigation method was identified and further developed, before being used to assess the current status of supply chain integration in New Zealand. Next, because removal of barriers is recognised to be crucial, the internal and external barriers to supply chain integration were investigated. Finally, longitudinal case studies were used to investigate ways of supply chain integration enhancement and to develop a deeper and more complete understanding of current integration status, barriers, and ways of enhancement. In total, some 240 person days were spent in eleven different companies from multiple industry sectors to investigate supply chain integration in practise.

Current practises of a large sample of New Zealand value streams were evaluated using the Quick Scan Audit Methodology. The Quick Scan Audit Methodology is carried out by a team of researchers (investigator triangulation) which utilise multiple and rigorous data collection techniques and methods (data- and method triangulation). The research revealed that supply chain integration practise rarely resembles the theoretical ideal and, similarly, seldom do available supply chain integration models reflect reality. Also, New Zealand value streams are significantly less integrated on the customer side compared to the supplier side. Further, every case company was found to face significant barriers to supply chain integration. Managerial, socio-cultural factors are the major obstacles to internal supply chain integration resulting in functional silos. Similarly, power and dependency issues limit the levels of integration achieved externally.
 
The research revealed that good top management support and favourable external dependencies offer the best setting for enhancing supply chain integration in practise. However, if a focal company lacks top management support and/or has an unfavourable dependency structure, the focal company chooses the path of least resistance when integrating its supply chain. Also, supply chain managers and change agents address people factors and cultural change first, before addressing either internal process issues or external relationship issues; after which communication technology upgrades are addressed. Finally, this exploratory study yielded some early insights that the speed of supply chain integration development in practise follows a learning curve trajectory.

year: 2009

title: Weaving kaupapa Māori and e-Learning

authors: Neal, Terry

subjects: New Zealand

abstract: This paper describes the creation and design of an online professional development course that aims to help educators in New Zealand to weave kaupapa Māori and e-Learning approaches together. The team sought to model weaving of kaupapa Māori and e-Learning approaches in how they worked together and the educational design for the material. The authors propose that educators with these skills are crucial if we are to effectively meet the needs of Māori learners, more than that, of all New Zealand learners, in the 21st century.

text: Weaving kaupapa Māori and e-Learning This paper describes the creation and design of an online professional development course that aims to help educators in New Zealand to weave kaupapa Māori and e-Learning approaches together. The team sought to model weaving of kaupapa Māori and e-Learning approaches in how they worked together and the educational design for the material. The authors propose that educators with these skills are crucial if we are to effectively meet the needs of Māori learners, more than that, of all New Zealand learners, in the 21st century.

year: 2006-09