Lately, you can’t turn on the news or open a social app without hearing how artificial intelligence (AI) will change your life. As AI-based technologies improve, so do the number of practical applications.
Industries of all kinds are integrating AI to boost productivity, increase consistency, or gain insights into customer behavior. The medical and mental health fields are no different.
You’ve probably already used a ChatGPT-based bot to book your next physical. But clinicians aren’t stopping there. They're also looking at how AI can assist with patient care, particularly for clients experiencing mental health challenges.
If you think AI counseling might improve your well-being, become familiar with these tools before you start. Understanding how these technologies can support your health, as well as their limits, will help you choose the right online AI therapy tool.
AI innovation in therapy
Anytime you interact with a chatbot-powered customer service assistant, access your phone through facial recognition, or use GPS to navigate unfamiliar streets, you’re interacting with an AI tool.
They’re everywhere. In 2019, one study found that 37% of organizations had already integrated AI into their day-to-day operations. By 2025, experts believe the AI software market will increase by 54% annually.
AI-based tools are making headway in every industry, so it’s no surprise that technologists are exploring capacities in the medical field. Some applications aren’t surprising.
Doctors already use AI-based software to manage schedules and automatically take and organize session notes. But can these technologies diagnose and treat illness as well as a human therapist?
What’s AI therapy?
Integrating AI and mental health care has taken on new urgency post-pandemic. One in five people experience mental health challenges, but less than half can access services. That’s where mobile and web-based apps come in. Software developers hope to use AI to provide affordable access to mental health support for patients experiencing roadblocks.
Online AI therapy applications let you interact with software prompts verbally or via text. These apps guide users through sessions with scripted questions and answers, using sophisticated algorithms to analyze responses.
This technology also leverages machine learning and natural language processing (NLP) to fine-tune responses.
Over time, the software closely approximates an in-person session with a mental health professional. And based on your replies, the AI therapy chatbot suggests tools, exercises, and games to help you feel better.
Some applications interface with your smartwatch or Fitbit to monitor your heart rate, sleep cycles, and other biometric data. They might prompt you to take your medication and exercise or even review your social media posts for signs of depression and anxiety.
If your app recognizes distress signals, it notifies you via smartphone with recommendations to help. And if you’re in crisis, the software can connect you with a human for immediate support.
Studies are ongoing to determine the efficacy of AI therapy, mainly focusing on schizophrenia, depression, and psychotic disorders. So far, results show that AI can successfully deliver cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to patients needing more support than in-person therapy provides.
In terms of customer experience, a 2020 survey found that 74% of people who used app-based healthcare services were satisfied with the results, with 50% preferring immediate access to a virtual appointment over an in-person visit.
Still, more in-depth and diverse research is necessary before scientists can firmly state whether these applications are beneficial.
How do AI therapy tools help?
AI-based therapy apps target various purposes, from providing additional support between in-person therapy appointments to stand-alone services you can access anytime. No matter what you use yours for, here are five ways these apps offer mental health care.
1. Thought recordings
Journaling offers various benefits, like helping you work through challenges to become more resilient and improving your immune system. Some AI-based therapy applications let you keep a daily diary, track your feelings, and record moments of gratitude. You can use these entries to review your progress and remind yourself of happier days.
2. Journal entry analysis
Some AI systems offer enhanced journaling options. An algorithm analyzes your entries, tracking your emotional state and flagging concerns. The system can even notify your in-person provider you may need assistance at your next session or immediate crisis intervention.
3. Well-being activities
If you’re experiencing a challenging moment, you can play games through your therapy app that are designed to calm you down. This can also help you retreat from a triggering situation or distract yourself from negative automatic thoughts.
4. CBT interventions
CBT attempts to treat trauma, anxiety, and depression by encouraging patients to strengthen new thought patterns and behaviors through repetition. Consistency is essential to ensure progress, and therapy apps support users by:
5. Chat sessions
Speaking out loud (or self-explaining) has several benefits, like offering a fresh perspective on your feelings, clearing your mind, and helping you work through problems. And many mental health apps let you verbally express yourself.
The pros and cons of AI therapy
As with any emerging technology, AI therapy still has kinks to work through. Here are some of the pros and cons of this therapy type.
Pros:
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A 2018 study found that 38% of Americans had to wait more than a week to receive mental health treatment. The same study stated that 46% faced more than a one-hour drive to receive care, and another 25% had to choose between receiving therapy and meeting daily obligations. And wait times are increasing.
Therapy apps address this issue by providing accessible and affordable mental health services.
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Unfortunately, mental health issues and therapy often carry social stigma, making people reluctant to seek help. Some people may feel more comfortable accessing care anonymously via an application.
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When AI tools analyze in-person therapy sessions, they can track productive conversation versus chit-chat, providing insights into the provider's practice, pinpointing areas for improvement, and driving consistency.
You can use this information to train new therapists, ensuring quality of care while they develop their skills.
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When combined with in-person therapy, in-app interactions can track engagement and improvements, giving your therapist a clearer picture of a treatment's efficacy. This functionality allows them to refine your diagnosis, fine-tune your therapy, or transfer you to a better-suited provider.
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Antidepressants and other pharmacological treatments can have serious side effects, like nausea, fatigue, and insomnia. Reinforcing CBT tools during in-person sessions with AI therapy might reduce a person’s need for meditation.
Cons:
5 AI-based therapy tools
While the disadvantages of AI-based therapy applications mean you should proceed with caution as regulations slowly come into play, there are still various invaluable benefits to these apps, like accessibility and affordability.
The following five tools excellently complement and support in-person therapy.
1. Chatbots
These interactive applications mimic in-person therapy. You can schedule daily targeted sessions to manage everything from sleep issues to social anxiety. They operate via text or voice messaging and, based on your responses, offer:
Many of these applications also offer a standard SOS feature to contact immediate support in case of an emergency.
Some apps are completely free, while others are subscription-based or require in-app purchases to access certain features.
2. Voice biomarkers
Some therapy applications monitor your mental state based on your vocal intonations. You speak to the app, which assesses your voice for signs of anxiety or depression, allowing you to track your progress.
These applications are still in the research and testing phase, so time will tell regarding their accuracy and efficacy.
3. Digital phenotyping
If you’re comfortable with an application monitoring your mobile phone data, consider digital phenotyping apps. These services monitor your cell phone usage, geolocation data, and social media channels for indications you’re complying with treatment plans, experiencing improvements in your mental state, or suffering a setback.
The effectiveness of these tools still isn’t very clear and requires more research. There are also privacy concerns, so if you decide to sign-up, read the end-user agreement carefully and stay updated on changes to privacy policies.
4. Diagnostic games
If you love a digital distraction, why not use a mobile app to monitor your mental health? Gaming has long been used as a tool to support therapy, and some simple online games claim to monitor the symptoms of depression and other mental health challenges, updating your clinician of any changes.
As with other emerging technologies, research is ongoing, so take that into consideration before downloading.
5. Digital journaling
Journaling is a common non-pharmacological treatment for various mental health challenges, including PTSD and depression. You may prefer using a digital diary, either on its own or as part of an AI therapy app, to writing in a daily journal to keep tabs on your experience and improvement.
Put therapy into your pocket
AI therapy will never replace human therapists. Nor should it. A valuable part of in-person psychotherapy is human understanding based on lived experience, and currently, no software accurately reflects this.
That said, therapy apps can be a valuable tool to supplement other mental health services. Whether you want to integrate CBT strategies into your everyday life, reduce stress, or better express yourself, there’s a wellness app worth considering.
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