First Therapy Chatbot Trial
First Therapy Chatbot Trial Yields Mental Health Benefits
Summary
Dartmouth researchers conducted a clinical trial of an AI therapy chatbot called Therabot, finding it significantly improved mental health symptoms in participants. Users reported high levels of trust and engagement, treating Therabot like a friend, and many experienced substantial reductions in issues like depression and anxiety. While the results are promising, experts emphasize the need for ongoing oversight and safety measures in using AI for mental health support.
Highlights
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People diagnosed with depression experienced a 51% average reduction in symptoms, leading to clinically significant improvements in mood and overall well-being, the researchers report. Participants with generalized anxiety reported an average reduction in symptoms of 31%, with many shifting from moderate to mild anxiety, or from mild anxiety to below the clinical threshold for diagnosis.
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“The improvements in symptoms we observed were comparable to what is reported for traditional outpatient therapy, suggesting this AI-assisted approach may offer clinically meaningful benefits,”
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“Our results are comparable to what we would see for people with access to gold-standard cognitive therapy with outpatient providers,” Jacobson says. “We’re talking about potentially giving people the equivalent of the best treatment you can get in the care system over shorter periods of time.”