Kaiser Health News (5/17, Rosenthal) reports, “In the past few years, 10,000 to 20,000 apps have stampeded into the mental health space, offering to ‘disrupt’ traditional therapy,” and now, “with the frenzy around AI innovations like ChatGPT, the claim that chatbots can provide mental healthcare is on the horizon.” Still, “in the mental health space, evidence of effectiveness is lacking.” In fact, “few of the many apps on the market have independent outcomes research showing they help; most haven’t been scrutinized at all by the FDA.” Even though they are “marketed to treat conditions such as anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and depression, or to predict suicidal tendencies, many warn users (in small print) that they are ‘not intended to be medical, behavioral health or other healthcare service’ or ‘not an FDA cleared product.’”
Related Links:
— “An AI Chatbot May Be Your Next Therapist. Will It Actually Help Your Mental Health? “Elisabeth Rosenthal, Kaiser Health News, May 17, 2023