Ready or Not, AI Chatbots Are Here to Help Gen Z’s Mental Health 💬🤖

• AI chatbots are being used to address mental health issues in teens and young adults.

• These chatbots provide 24/7 support and are stigma-free.

• Experts debate their effectiveness and the need for regulation.

• Some health systems already incorporate chatbots to manage patient loads.

• Who: Gen Z, mental health professionals, AI developers

• What: AI chatbots like Earkick and Woebot

• When: Present day

• Where: Globally, with examples from the UK and US

• Why: Addressing the mental health crisis and shortage of mental health professionals

Let's face it: talking about mental health can be tough. But what if your therapist was a cute, bandana-wearing panda? 🐼

Enter Earkick. This mental health chatbot is designed to help teens and young adults navigate their anxiety and stress. With comforting, therapist-like responses, this panda might suggest:

• Guided breathing exercises

• Ways to reframe negative thoughts

• Stress-management tips

But don't call it therapy – Earkick’s co-founder, Karin Andrea Stephan, prefers it that way.

The Big Question: Therapy or Just a Chatbot?

Earkick(Earkick.com) is part of a growing trend of AI chatbots stepping in to address the mental health crisis among teens and young adults. They're:

• Free

• Available 24/7

• Stigma-free

But are they really effective? Experts are divided.

Pros:

• Provide much-needed support

• Available anytime, anywhere

Cons:

• Lack of FDA regulation

• Uncertain effectiveness

From the U.K.’s National Health Service offering Wysa to U.S. hospitals using Woebot, AI chatbots are becoming a staple in mental health support. For many, these digital companions offer a lifeline, especially when human therapists are in short supply.

Dr. Angela Skrzynski from Virtua Health highlights the practical benefits: patients love the immediate support, and clinicians appreciate having an extra tool in their arsenal.

While chatbots like Woebot offer structured, rule-based responses, they still face challenges. Generative AI models can "hallucinate," creating inaccurate or inappropriate responses. Despite this, early studies show chatbots can significantly reduce symptoms of depression and distress in the short term.

I started with the simple flow of buying a T-shirt in an online store to see if the AI could generate a full flow from it.

Below is the entire flow of the flowchart with If then conditions

I could add three error cases to the prompt and whether the AI would understand them.

I added to the prompt these error cases:

• The promo Code does not work.

• The color is out of stock.

• The payment declined.

Prompt

Act like a product designer and create a Flow chart for the process of buying a t-shirt in an e-commerce store:

- Visit homepage.
- Select the T-shirt category.
- Filter and sort.
- Pick a T-shirt.
- Choose size and color.
- Add to cart.
- Review cart.
- Checkout.
- Fill in shipping and payment.
- The user adds a promo code.
- Confirm order.

Take into account these error cases:

- The promo Code does not work.
- The color is out of stock.
- The payment declined.

Create only this flow. Do not add anything else.

Here is your Flow Chart ready with Chat GPT

                    Start
                      |
              Visit Homepage
                      |
          Select the T-shirt Category
                      |
                Filter and Sort
                      |
                Pick a T-shirt
                      |
          Choose Size and Color
                      |
          /                    \
  Color in Stock       Color Out of Stock
          |                     |
      Add to Cart       Display Error Message
          |                     |
          \---------------------/
                      |
                 Review Cart
                      |
                  Checkout
                      |
        Fill in Shipping and Payment
                      |
              Add a Promo Code
                      |
             /                \
 Promo Code Works     Promo Code Fails
          |                 |
   Confirm Order     Display Error Message
          |                 |
          \-----------------/
                      |
                  Payment
                      |
          /                     \
  Payment Successful      Payment Declined
          |                     |
          |             Display Error Message
          |                     |
          \---------------------/
                      |
                     End

Now you have the power of your business process with you to work on, tweak it and finally implement it when you have visual representation of the entire flow is with you.

• Explore AI chatbots: Consider using AI chatbots like Earkick or Woebot for immediate mental health support.

• Stay informed: Keep up-to-date with the latest developments and studies on AI in mental health.

• Advocate for regulation: Support efforts to regulate AI chatbots to ensure their safety and effectiveness.

• Integrate tools: If you’re a health professional, explore integrating AI chatbots into your practice to manage patient loads.

• Understand limitations: Recognize that while helpful, AI chatbots are not a replacement for professional therapy.

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Sujata Padhy
Gen. AI Explorer