ChatGPT and mental health: Friends or foes?

Health Sci Rep. 2024 Feb 15;7(2):e1912. doi: 10.1002/hsr2.1912. eCollection 2024 Feb.

Abstract

Background: ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence (AI) language model that has gained popularity as a virtual assistant because of its exceptional capacity to solve problems and make decisions. However, there are some ways in which technological misuse and incorrect interpretations can have potentially hazardous consequences for a user's mental health.

Discussion: Because it lacks real-time fact-checking capabilities, ChatGPT may create misleading or erroneous information. Considering AI technology has the potential to influence a person's thinking, we anticipate ChatGPT's future repercussions on mental health by considering instances in which inappropriate usage may lead to mental disorders. While several studies have demonstrated how the AI model may transform mental health care and therapy, certain drawbacks, including bias and privacy violations, have also been identified.

Conclusion: Educating people and organizing workshops on AI technology usage, strengthening privacy measures, and updating ethical standards are crucial initiatives to prevent misuse and resultant dire impacts on mental health. Longitudinal research on the potential of these platforms to impact a variety of mental health problems is recommended in the future.

Keywords: ChatGPT; artificial intelligence; depression; mental health; suicide.