EMOTIONAL SUPPORT BOT

More people are turning to AI for therapy, but what do the experts think?

- • By Madison Bogisch

One of the first prompts to show up on ChatGPT is: “What's on your mind today?” — and while for many of us, it’s drafting an email or searching the internet, a growing number of people are turning to AI chatbots for genuine mental health support.

It seems there’s a good reason for this, too. Per the Australian Psychological Society’s 2024 ‘Thinking Futures’ report, 75 per cent of participants reported that cost was one of their biggest barriers to seeking therapy. This is closely followed by a lack of availability and not knowing where to go.

But, is it actually a good idea to trauma dump on ChatGPT? WHO asked the experts.

THE MENTAL HEALTH RISK

According to psychologist Dr Jari Evertsz, the author of The Well-Behaved Teenager & Other Lies, mental health conditions are complex and shouldn’t be diagnosed by an AI chatbot.