People using ChatGPT to ask mental health questions: Is it safe or dangerous?

Using ChatGPT for therapy: Safe or dangerous?

Can ChatGPT or artificial intelligence chatbots be used for mental health therapy? Can they help with anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues? FOX 35's Deborah Choe talks with a therapist about the benefits, limits, and concerns of using A.I. to help with mental health.

ORLANDO, Fla. - ChatGPT – an artificial intelligence chatbot – has quickly become a household name. People have used it to help plan trips, help write business proposals, and reportedly term papers.

However, due to concerns about possible cheating, some schools have since banned access to ChatGPT. Now, there are concerns that ChatGPT could be targeting children's health.

Some teenagers have reportedly been using chatbots like a therapist, asking it various mental health-related questions. Leading therapists and mental health experts warn that ChatGPT is not a mental health resource.

"There’s lots of things online that are helpful, but I would not take advice from an online doctor for my health care, without talking to my doctor," said Iisha Reyes, a mental health counselor.

ChatBots are free, fast, and easy to use, which is why it could be appealing, but Ryes said it should not be the only resource people, especially teens, use.

"I don't think it's a good idea," she said.

FOX 35 tested ChatGPT with Reyes. We typed in "I have anxiety" into the search function. Within seconds, the chatbot said it was not a substitute for professional help, but did provide a list of suggestions on how to deal with anxiety:

seek professional help
practice deep breathing
stay physically active
prioritize self-care
challenge negative thoughts
build a support system
limit stressors and consider relaxation techniques

While those answers are helpful for anxiety, what if someone doesn't' have anxiety? What if it's a misdiagnosis, such as trauma that has similar symptoms as anxiety?

Both could replicate the same symptoms but need to be treated differently, said Reyes.

She said artificial intelligence cannot see someone's body language or understand past issues that a licensed therapist would know about and could properly consider and diagnose.

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting some 40 million adults every year, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. For young adults, anxiety numbers have increased in recent year.

The National Library of Medicine said nearly 8% experienced anxiety in 2008, which has almost doubled – 14% – in the decade that followed.

Dedrick Boyd, a social media expert, said people and children may like the instant validation that chatbots offer, but A.I. is not human.

"We should speak to our children about their experiences, and risk you know, working with an AI is not a human. There’s no one behind the wheel; it’s code," he said.

Possible signs of anxiety

Anxiety can hit in different ways, like feeling nervous, tense, increased heart rate, rapid breathing, sweating, and feeling weak or tired. Experiencing occasional anxiety is normal but if you feel like your life is being significantly impacted, it's important to talk to a professional therapist or mental health counselor.