Freddie Chipress couldn’t shake off the melancholy that lurked at the edges of his otherwise “blessed” life. Sometimes he felt lonely, especially when working from his home. Her married 31-year-old mortgage broker thought something was wrong.
Chipress knew a friend who had a positive experience seeing a therapist. He was more open to the idea than ever, but it also meant finding someone and making an appointment. Really, he just wanted a little feedback about his mental health.
So Chipres turned to ChatGPT(opens in new window), a chatbot powered by artificial intelligence that responds in an amazingly conversational way. After the release of the latest version of the chatbot in December, he watched several YouTube videos that showed ChatGPT not only writing professional letters and researching various subjects, but also mental health. It suggests that it also helps solve the problem.
ChatGPT was not designed for this purpose. So the question arises as to what happens when people turn it into an ad hoc therapist. Chatbots are knowledgeable about mental health and can respond with empathy, but they cannot diagnose users with specific mental health conditions or provide treatment details reliably and accurately In fact, some mental health professionals are concerned that people seeking help from ChatGPT may be disappointed, mislead, or divulge the chatbot and violate their privacy. .
6 scary things ChatGPT is already using
OpenAI, the company that hosts ChatGPT, declined to answer specific questions from Mashable about these concerns. A spokesperson said ChatGPT is trained to reject inappropriate requests and block certain types of dangerous and sensitive content.
In Chipres’ experience, chatbots have never responded to his messages with ugly responses. Instead, he found his ChatGPT refreshingly helpful. First, Chipres Googled different styles of therapy and determined that cognitive-behavioral therapy worked best.(opens in new window) (CBT), which typically focuses on identifying and reframing negative thought patterns. He urged ChatGPT to answer questions like a CBT therapist would. The chatbot was obligatory but reminded me to seek professional help.
Chypres says good practices like taking a walk to boost your mood, practicing gratitude, engaging in activities you enjoy, and calming your mind with meditation and slow, deep breathing. I was amazed at how quickly the chatbot provided helpful advice. The advice became a reminder of what he had dropped by the side of the road. ChatGPT helped Cypress resume her dormant meditation practice.
He appreciated that ChatGPT didn’t bombard him with ads or affiliate links like many mental health web pages he encountered. Chipless also liked that it was convenient and that it simulated talking to other humans. This is markedly different from perusing the internet for mental health advice.
“It’s like I’m having a conversation with someone. We’re back and forth,” he said, momentarily and inadvertently calling ChatGPT a person. “This listens, pays attention to what I say, and bases its answers on it.”
For those unable or unwilling to access professional counseling and therapy, the chypress experience may sound appealing, but mental health professionals should consult ChatGPT with caution. said. Here are three things he should know before using a chatbot to discuss mental health:
1. ChatGPT is not designed to act as a therapist and cannot diagnose.
ChatGPT can generate a lot of text, but it’s still nowhere near how to engage with a therapist. According to Adam S. Miner, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and epidemiologist who studies conversational artificial intelligence, therapists seem to know a lot when they don’t know the answer to a client’s question. In contrast, unlike chatbots, which seem to know everything.
This therapeutic practice aims to help clients reflect on their situation and develop their own insights. Minor, a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University, says they are not.
Importantly, Miner points out that while therapists are prohibited by law from sharing client information, people who use ChatGPT as counselors do not receive the same privacy protections.
“We need to be realistic about our expectations that these are surprisingly powerful and impressive language machines, but they are still imperfect and trained on data that may not be suitable for all situations. It’s a well-designed software program,” he says. “This is especially true in sensitive conversations about mental health and painful experiences.”
Elena Mikalsen, Ph.D., chief of pediatric psychology at San Antonio Children’s Hospital, recently asked ChatGPT the same questions her patients ask each week. Each time Mikalsen tried to pull her diagnosis from the chatbot, the chatbot rejected her and recommended her professional treatment instead.
This is definitely good news. After all, a diagnosis ideally comes from a professional who can make that call based on the person’s particular medical history and experience. may not be aware of the large number of globally validated screening tools available online.(opens in new window).
For example, if you search for “clinical depression” on Google Mobile, you’ll immediately see screeners.(opens in new window) Known as PHQ-9, it helps determine a person’s level of depression. Health professionals review these results to help patients decide what to do next. ChatGPT provides contact information for 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.(opens in new window) and the crisis text line(opens in new window) If suicidal thoughts are directly mentioned, the chatbot’s remarks may violate its content policy.
2. ChatGPT may be knowledgeable about mental health, but not always comprehensive or correct.
When Mikalsen used ChatGPT, she was shocked at how often chatbots gave inaccurate information. (Some have criticized her ChatGPT responses as self-defeating.) When Mikalsen asked about treatment for childhood obsessive-compulsive disorder, it focused on her medication, but her Clinical guidelines clearly state:(opens in new window) That a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy is the gold standard.
Mikalsen also noted that responses about postpartum depression did not mention more serious conditions such as postpartum anxiety or psychosis. and provided links to mental health hotlines.
It’s unclear if ChatGPT is trained on clinical information and official treatment guidelines, but Mikalsen compared many of the conversations to browsing Wikipedia. The general, short paragraphs of information made Mikalsen feel like he shouldn’t be the authoritative source of mental health information.
“That’s my criticism as a whole,” she says. “It gives you even less information than Google.”
3. There are alternatives to using ChatGPT to help with mental health.
Dr. Elizabeth A. Carpenter Song, a medical anthropologist who studies mental health, said in an email that she totally understands why people are turning to technology like ChatGPT. Her research shows that people are particularly interested in having her mental health tools digitally available at all times, feeling it’s like having a therapist in their pocket.
“Technologies, including the likes of ChatGPT, appear to offer a low-barrier way to access answers and have the potential to support mental health.” Song wrote: “But we have to be cautious about approaching complex problems that we see as ‘silver bullets.'”
“We have to be cautious about approaching complex problems that seem to be ‘silver bullets’.”
Carpenter-Song said research suggests that digital mental health tools are best used as part of a “continuum of care.”
Those looking for more digital support in a conversational context similar to ChatGPT might consider a chatbot designed specifically for mental health, like Woebot.(opens in new window) and wisa(opens in new window)to provide AI-guided treatments for a fee.
Digital peer support services are also available to those seeking encouragement online, connecting with listeners who are ideally ready to provide it non-judgmentally.Some, such as Wisdo(opens in new window) and circle(opens in new window)requires a fee, but there are also things like TalkLife(opens in new window) and coco(opens in new window), is free. However, these apps and platforms are wide-ranging and are not intended to treat mental health conditions.
In general, Carpenter-Song believes digital tools need to be combined with other forms of support such as mental health care, housing and employment “to ensure that people have a meaningful opportunity to recover.” I’m here.
“We need to better understand how these tools can help, under what circumstances and for whom, and remain vigilant to clarify their limitations and potential harm,” Carpenter-Song said. writing.
If you have suicidal thoughts or are going through a mental health crisis, talk to someone. 988 will get you to 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860. or The Trevor Project (866-488-7386). Type START on the Crisis Text Line at 741-741. Contact the NAMI Helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI, Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time, or email us. [email protected]If you don’t like the phone, consider using the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Chat below. Crisischat.org(opens in new window). is here List of international resources(opens in new window).
