'It understands me better than people': Why young people are turning to ChatGPT for therapy

"ChatGPT understands me better than all the people I ever talked to about my problems," says one of the many thousands of users in a Reddit channel dedicated to mental health. 

The exponential rise of artificial intelligence and the wide availability of chatbots like ChatGPT has opened many possibilities in the area of mental health, especially given the difficult access to a therapist and the rise of mental health issues.  

"They're specifically designed not to be judgmental, and you never have to worry you'll come off wrong while venting," says another user. "It's more direct and more effective advice than talking to my therapist," another adds. 

The list of users online talking about how ChatGPT has helped them deal with their mental health issues is endless. This increase, especially among young people, has also been noticed by experts. 

"We have seen a significant increase in the use of chatbots like ChatGPT for all kinds of advice, not just for mental health," Monika Jiménez, professor at Pompeu Fabra University's Communication department, tells Catalan News in an interview. 

The expert warns that, although it may seem at first that it is giving "correct and coherent answers," when it comes to mental health problems, its use without supervision "can be risky." 

"AI has no feelings, emotions, and especially has no idea about our mental health conditions. It has no idea about how we are going to use their advice and the consequences it can have," she adds. 

Despite the risks, especially if used without supervision and by relying entirely on chatbots for mental health advice, Jiménez explains that there are positive initiatives that can have an impact on treatment. 

"Companies have for years been developing specific platforms for therapeutic use concerning mental health, and they are working with very amazing results," she explains. 

Chatbots dedicated specifically to mental health are already proving a success "as a first step" of the therapeutic process. In fact, as many users already point out, one of the main drawbacks of going to therapy in person is feeling judged. 

"Some people feel more comfortable talking to a chatbot than a real person," Jiménez explains, adding that this first openness allows therapists to get "a lot of information" about their patients. 

In a context of growing inequalities, increasing mental health problems, and difficult access to therapy —since private sessions are expensive and public systems have long waiting lists— the expert considers chatbots might be a useful help. 

"Artificial intelligence will be implemented in hospitals and the public healthcare systems in mental health therapies, but always supervised by doctors and therapists," she predicts. 

Meanwhile, as people use chatbots for mental health advice that are not designed specifically for mental health treatment, Jiménez believes the responsibility is shared between companies and users. 

"Users are sharing sensitive information and companies are responsible for these risks and their consequences, but at the end of the day, the responsibility falls on the user," she concludes.