Assessing the Effectiveness of ChatGPT in Delivering Mental Health Support: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Background: Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications are widely researched for their potential in effectively improving the healthcare operations and disease management. However, the research trend shows that these applications also have significant negative implications on the service delivery. Purpose: To assess the use of ChatGPT for mental health support. Methods: Due to the novelty and unfamiliarity of the ChatGPT technology, a quasi-experimental design was chosen for this study. Outpatients from a public hospital were included in the sample. A two-week experiment followed by semi-structured interviews was conducted in which participants used ChatGPT for mental health support. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 individuals with mental health conditions. Results: Eight positive factors (psychoeducation, emotional support, goal setting and motivation, referral and resource information, self-assessment and monitoring, cognitive behavioral therapy, crisis interventions, and psychotherapeutic exercises) and four negative factors (ethical and legal considerations, accuracy and reliability, limited assessment capabilities, and cultural and linguistic considerations) were associated with the use of ChatGPT for mental health support. Conclusion: It is important to carefully consider the ethical, reliability, accuracy, and legal challenges and develop appropriate strategies to mitigate them in order to ensure safe and effective use of AI-based applications like ChatGPT in mental health support.