University of Newcastle

11/27/2024 | Press release | Archived content

AI vs humans: Are AI chatbots ready for real mental health conversations

AI vs humans: Are AI chatbots ready for real mental health conversations?

Wednesday, 27 November 2024

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Researchers from the University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) are investigating if AI chatbots can help fill the critical service gap in support services by providing empathetic, 24-hour mental health support.

The demand for mental health support across Australia continues to surge, with limited human resources available to meet it. Long waiting lists, delays between appointments, and limited access to specialised care have left many individuals without the help they urgently need.

A NSW State Government-led analysis from early 2024, revealed a 29 per cent shortfall in the mental health workforce needed to support people in NSW living with severe and complex mental health and psychosocial needs.

Researchers from the University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) are investigating if AI chatbots can help fill this critical service gap by providing empathetic, 24-hour mental health support.

Dr Louise Thornton, Dr Dara Sampson and Dr Jamin Day from HMRI's Healthy Minds Research Program are leading the study. Their research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of AI in mental health contexts and explore whether individuals feel comfortable and supported when interacting with a trained AI chatbot compared to a human mental health practitioner.

"We know that AI, especially platforms like ChatGPT, is getting increasingly sophisticated at natural language processing and can deliver clear, grammatically correct responses," study co-lead Dr Louise Thornton said.

"What we don't yet know is how well AI can manage complex and sensitive issues that require a deep understanding of nuance, empathy, and context-particularly in areas like drug, alcohol, and mental health support."

In a first-of-its-kind, blinded study, the team aims to recruit 100 participants to compare the AI's responses against those of experienced psychologists and social workers.

Participants will be asked to rate messages generated by both a chatbot and human practitioners in response to questions and scenarios related to mental health and addiction, helping researchers assess whether AI can provide the kind of empathetic and supportive interaction critical in these fields.

"We're really excited to see where this leads," Dr Thornton said.

"Our social networking site, Breathing Space, is a manually moderated community offering people a safe space to connect. However, manual moderation is resource-intensive, which limits our scalability. By training an AI model with insights from our online treatment programs, we're testing whether AI can augment our team's impact, particularly in providing 24/7 support."

Dr Thornton emphasised that AI was not a replacement for human practitioners.

Instead, this study will explore how AI could complement existing support services to expand the reach and support offered.

"We're cautious not to deploy this technology until we're confident it's reliable. If ever implemented, users would be fully informed that they're interacting with AI.

"This study is about pushing the boundaries of what AI can responsibly offer," Dr Thornton said. "Mental health support isn't just about sharing information; it requires nuanced, personalised, and empathetic communication."

Register now to be part of this groundbreaking study. The study is now open for participants over 18, and feedback will play a key role in shaping AI's future role in mental health support.

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