Millions of people are turning to mental health apps for help, but psychologist Louise Cowpertwait is worried not all are clinically safe or user-friendly (file image). Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
You might have consulted Dr Google over a health issue, but how would you feel about talking to an AI chatbot about your mental health?
Millions of people are turning to mental health apps for help - with some boasting artificial-intelligence chatbots to help people work through their problems.
But one psychologist was worried not all of these apps were clinically safe or user-friendly - meaning people might give up on them and miss out on the help they needed.
Clinical psychologist and MindMatters chief executive Louise Cowpertwait spoke to Checkpoint about putting mental health app Wysa's AI chatbot feature to the test.
Cowpertwait asked it what she should do if she thought she had ADHD.
"Daily conversations with me will help break cycles you may be stuck in," the bot responded.
"It's kind of assuming that someone with ADHD are stuck in cycles, which actually is pretty invalidating," she observed.
Mental health app Wysa has an AI chatbot feature that responds to questions about issues they are facing. Photo: Luka Forman
It then followed up with more advice.
"If I told you you were enough, just as you are, would you believe me?"
"That's a bit weird - see, it's just feeling like not actually relevant; like it's not listening to me. I'm starting to get quite annoyed with it already."
Cowpertwait then asked the chatbot how she could get a diagnosis for ADHD.
"For a minute, imagine you felt completely confident and accepted: tell me the details of how you would be, how others would treat you," it responded.
"So at this point I'm bored and I'm going to leave," she said.
Wysa's website said it had provided help for 6 million people across 95 countries, and 91 percent of its users found it helpful.
It was also part of the NHS mental health pathway in the UK, helping to triage patients and support waitlists.
The app was clinically tested - but Cowpertwait said its user experience fell short, which could make it invalidating for people using it.
"Best-case scenario is it's just a bit annoying or frustrating - and then you bail on the product and stop using it.
"The other risk is that you might go hunting for a product that feels like a better fit and end up engaging with something unsafe."
A 2019 study found just 4 percent of users who downloaded a mental health app continued to use it after 15 days, dropping to 3 percent after 30 days.
AI technology created an opportunity to make mental health support more accessible and cheaper, Cowpertwait said, freeing up clinicians for more complex cases.
"So you could have a product that basically talks to you, validates how you're feeling and then connects you to what you can do to access the right support - whether that's providing some therapy through the product, or where to go externally."
But Cowpertwait did not think AI was good enough to provide that advice just yet.
College of General Practitioners medical director Luke Bradford said its members did not usually recommend AI-based apps, but patients would sometimes mention to their GP that they were using them.
They could be a useful tool - if they were used in the right way, Bradford said.
"There's no harm in patients finding the support through apps - they just need to know when to seek further help if things are really struggling."
GPs did refer patients to online tools like New Zealand-based Just A Thought - a website providing online courses on mental illnesses, but did not use AI, he said.
Checkpoint contacted Wysa for comment.
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