Sample questions for candidates

AI technologies are being increasingly integrated into people’s lives at home, at work, in health care, at school, and beyond. Given psychology’s deep scientific understanding of human cognition, behavior, and emotions, the field should play a pivotal role in shaping safe and effective AI systems—including people’s use of and interaction with these systems—and studying the impact of these systems and their use on society.

Question

I am a psychologist who researches human-technology interactions, and I worry about the negative impacts of artificial intelligence. I see new technologies being rolled out to the public without adequate testing and evaluation that might tell us whether these tools are returning biased or inaccurate results. If elected, what will you do to ensure these AI tools are safe for public use? Furthermore, will you support additional funding and coordination for research and testing on the impacts of new AI technologies?

Social media platforms built for adults are not inherently suitable for young people. Youth require special protection as they progress through the childhood, teenage, and late adolescent years. Psychological science continues to reveal benefits from social media use, as well as risks and opportunities that certain content, features, and functions present to young social media users.

Question

I am a psychologist who sees young patients suffering from anxiety and other mental health challenges. Every day, I see individuals who are suffering from conditions exacerbated by content they consume on social media. This content sometimes promotes self-harm and eating disorders. If elected, what will you do to help curb the negative impacts of social media on young people?

The U.S. continues to face a serious nationwide shortage of mental health care providers, including psychologists, with every state having documented mental health professional shortage areas. These shortages are projected to worsen significantly this decade. Funding for programs to expand and diversify the mental health workforce and policies to increase access to services in all settings are essential to closing this gap.

Question

As a psychologist, I’ve worked with many people in our community who are struggling with their mental health. Unfortunately, a limited number of providers exist in our region, and many who need mental health treatment are unable to access care. If you are elected, how will you address these workforce shortages and increase access to mental health care in our area?

The youth mental health crisis has deepened in the past decade, especially in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. Schools are often on the frontlines of the youth mental health crisis, as a large majority of children receive their first health services in a school-based setting. Yet most states continue to face shortages of school-based providers. Additionally, college students are reporting mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety at an alarming rate. More funding is needed for federal programs to expand and diversify the school- and college-based mental health provider workforce and address the increasing demand for suicide prevention services in schools and colleges.

Question

I am a school psychologist in one of our local public schools. Many students in our district are struggling with their mental health and are not getting the help they need. Schools are a frontline resource to address our kids’ mental health, particularly through prevention and early intervention efforts, but many in our community lack the funding to hire more school psychologists. If you are elected, what policies or programs will you support to empower our schools to address the youth mental health crisis and ensure that our children are receiving the highest quality public education?

Our nation’s veterans face unique mental health challenges, including higher rates of suicide and posttraumatic stress disorder, and barriers to accessing care compared with the general population. It is critical that elected officials support policies that prevent suicide, promote the use of evidence-based psychotherapies in the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), ensure mental health promotion is included in the transition from active duty to veteran status, promote health research relevant to military personnel and veterans, and protect the sustainability of the VA.

Question

I am a psychologist who treats veterans through our local VA health center, and I am increasingly concerned about the impact that cutbacks to VA funding will have on my ability to treat patients and the ability of veterans in our community to receive culturally competent mental health care. If you are elected, what will you do to protect the sustainability of the VA so that it remains the gold standard for treating our community’s veterans?

Gun violence affects society in many ways, including higher medical costs, reductions in quality of life because of fear of gun violence, and stresses on the criminal justice system. The United States has the highest rate of gun-related injuries among developed countries, as well as the highest rate of gun ownership. Policies to address gun violence are needed now more than ever.

Question

I am a psychologist who serves an underresourced community that has been impacted by gun violence. The level of trauma my patients have experienced has affected entire families. If you are elected, what will you do to reduce the amount of gun violence in these communities? Furthermore, what will you do to make sure mental health professionals like me have the resources necessary to address trauma?

Question

I am a psychologist concerned about the increasing rates of suicide by firearms, especially among our youth. If you are elected, what will you do to ensure that gun owners can access safety measures to keep firearms out of the wrong hands?