Using AI for Mental Health Support

It is becoming increasingly common for people to use chatbots and other AI tools for information or advice about mental health issues. That’s not surprising, because AI is playing a more visible role in many aspects of our daily life. AI tools are convenient, simple, and often don’t cost anything to use.

But there are some important considerations you should keep in mind when using AI for issues related to mental health and well-being.

How AI Tools Can Improve Your Well-Being

AI can be great for exploring lifestyle changes or actions that can benefit your mental (and physical) health. An AI-powered chatbot can provide tips to improve your sleep routine or help you identify your most productive periods of the day. It may also suggest mental health or wellness resources available to you (both online and in your local area), or recommend stress management strategies like meditation, journaling, or deep breathing.

Limitations of AI for Mental Health Support

While AI can help you implement positive habits to improve your well-being, it cannot take the place of a human professional with expertise and training in the mental health field.

Interactions with an AI chatbot don’t provide the same benefits as one-on-one counseling from a therapist or participation in a support group. AI tools can’t offer empathy and understanding and cannot relate to human experiences. Unlike a trained counselor or mental health professional, a chatbot can’t interpret someone’s intent or detect subtle unspoken clues that might reveal deeper issues the person might not initially disclose. This means a chatbot may fail to grasp the urgency of a mental health issue or may not realize someone could be experiencing a crisis situation.

In addition, AI tools cannot be objective by nature. The tools are trained with initial source material — which may have inherent biases or weaknesses — and often tend to validate information that is entered by the user. This can cause the tool to develop certain predispositions that can influence its output.

There’s also the worry that, as with any type of technology, users can become overly dependent on — or possibly even addicted to — these tools.

Mental Health Support for Students

AI tools can help you develop a daily wellness routine or suggest techniques that might help you manage stress, be more organized, or improve your time management skills — all of which can have positive impact on your mental health. But you shouldn’t rely on AI tools for a diagnosis or treatment plan to address mental health issues you may be experiencing.

The best approach is to use AI tools to enhance or expand upon other support resources you may have.

Penn State World Campus students have access to a variety of mental health resources and support services. Explore the self-service mental health resources that you can use at any time. You can also connect with a case manager who can help you navigate behavioral health services or identify resources in your area.

Related Resources:

• Eliminating the Stigma of Mental Health Discussions — World Campus Mental Health Case Manager Michelle Henry answered questions about the importance of open conversations and the stigma of mental health
• Let’s Talk — a non-emergency drop-in service that offers World Campus students confidential and informal same-day consultations with a licensed mental health professional