Mental health chatbots effective in treating depression symptoms: NTU study

Summary

A research team from NTU has discovered that mental health chatbots can alleviate symptoms of depression by interacting empathetically with users. Dr. Laura Martinengo from the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine discusses the limitations and capabilities of these apps, emphasizing the importance of empathy in their design. While chatbots can't replace professional help, they can provide support, especially for the younger demographic. The conversation also touches on the need for regulation in the digital health tools market and the importance of addressing mental health stigma.

Takeaways

• 🤖 Mental health chatbots are designed to help manage symptoms of depression, as per research by an NTU team.
• 🔍 These apps can interact with users, offering empathy and encouragement to improve moods, but they are not a substitute for professional help in serious mental health issues.
• 💬 The chatbots can be text-based or offer multiple-choice options for users to interact with, guiding them through exercises.
• 📊 The effectiveness of chatbots varies, with some being basic and ineffective, while others are more responsive and empathetic.
• 🌟 A key feature of effective chatbots is the variety of exercises they offer and their ability to respond to user inputs with empathy.
• 👥 Chatbots seem to be more oriented towards younger users, using language and terms familiar to them, such as 'body' or 'WhatsApp'.
• 🔍 The chatbots' ability to remember user names and personalize the conversation to some extent is noted, although it's not very sophisticated.
• 👂 For some users, the anonymity of speaking to a chatbot, rather than a person, can make it easier to open up about mental health issues.
• 💡 The importance of involving healthcare professionals in the development of chatbots and ensuring there is regulation around digital health tools is highlighted.
• 🚫 The lack of regulation in the app market for mental health chatbots is a concern, with the potential for some apps to be ineffective or even dangerous.
• 🌐 The discussion suggests a need for a balanced approach to mental health treatment, addressing both the stigma around mental illness and the need for accessible tools like chatbots.

Q & A

What is the primary function of mental health chatbots according to the NTU research team?

The primary function of mental health chatbots is to interact with people, show empathy and encouragement, and help treat symptoms of depression.

What are the limitations of these chatbot applications as discussed in the script?

The chatbot applications cannot prevent suicide or provide advice for serious mental issues.

How do these mental health apps interact with users?

These apps can converse with users either by allowing them to type responses or through multiple-choice options to guide them in exercises.

What is one feature that makes a mental health chatbot particularly effective?

The variety of exercises provided to users and the ability to show empathy, such as responding to users' expressions of sadness with understanding and encouragement.

Which demographic tends to respond better to chatbots according to the script?

The chatbots seem to be more oriented towards younger populations, using language and terms that resonate with them.

How does the chatbot's impersonal nature potentially benefit users with mental health disorders?

The impersonal nature of chatbots can make it easier for users to open up about their feelings, as they may feel less stigmatized or judged by a machine compared to a human.

What is the role of health professionals in the development of mental health chatbots as suggested by Dr. Martinengo?

Healthcare professionals should be involved in the development of chatbots to ensure they are effective and safe for users.

Why is it important for users to know that they are not interacting with a human when using a chatbot?

Knowing that they are not interacting with a human helps users understand the limitations of the chatbot and manage their expectations regarding the support they can receive.

What is the current state of regulation for mental health chatbot apps as discussed in the script?

There is currently a lack of regulation in the market for mental health chatbot apps, which can lead to the availability of both helpful and potentially dangerous apps.

What are some examples of good mental health apps mentioned in the script?

Some examples of good mental health apps mentioned are Wysa and robot Wi-Fi, which can be found on the App Store and the mindline website in Singapore.

How does the script suggest we should approach the issue of mental health and the use of chatbots?

The script suggests that we should focus on a combination of addressing the stigma around mental health, increasing the number of mental health professionals, and developing and regulating digital health tools like chatbots to help a larger population.

Outlines

00:00

🤖 Mental Health Chatbots: Capabilities and Limitations

The first paragraph discusses the role of mental health chatbots in treating symptoms of depression, as per research by an NTU team. These apps are designed to interact with users, showing empathy and encouragement to improve moods. However, they are not a substitute for professional help in cases of serious mental health issues or suicide prevention. Dr. Laura Martinengo from the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine explains the parameters of chatbot capabilities, emphasizing the importance of differentiating between basic and effective bots. Effective bots are characterized by a variety of exercises and a more responsive, empathetic interaction with users, which is crucial for their therapeutic value. The paragraph also touches on the chatbots' appeal to younger demographics due to their use of relatable language and the potential benefits of anonymity in opening up about mental health struggles.

05:02

💬 Addressing Mental Health Through Technology and Stigma

The second paragraph delves into the broader implications of using chatbots for mental health treatment. It raises concerns about whether resources would be better spent on addressing the root causes of mental health issues, such as the lack of mental health professionals and the stigma associated with mental illness. The conversation highlights the importance of not only acknowledging the stigma but also leveraging the current mental health awareness climate to encourage open dialogue. Dr. Martinengo suggests that while health professionals are essential, digital tools like chatbots can help reach a larger audience. The paragraph also explores the design of chatbots, questioning whether they should be humanoid or anti-humanoid to encourage users to open up more easily. The importance of transparency about the non-human nature of chatbots and the involvement of healthcare professionals in their development is emphasized. The need for regulation in the digital health tools market is also discussed, with a call for better oversight to ensure the safety and efficacy of mental health apps available to the public.

Keywords

💡Mental Health Chatbots

Mental health chatbots are AI-driven applications designed to interact with users to address mental health symptoms, such as depression. They are a key focus of the video, illustrating the potential of technology to assist in mental health care. The script discusses their capabilities and limitations, such as showing empathy and encouragement to improve moods, but not being able to prevent suicide or provide advice for serious mental health issues.

💡Empathy

Empathy in the context of the video refers to the chatbots' ability to understand and respond to users' emotional states. It is highlighted as an important feature for the effectiveness of mental health chatbots, as they can respond to users expressing sadness with comforting messages, which can be crucial for users who find it difficult to communicate their feelings to others.

💡Depression

Depression is a mental health disorder characterized by persistent sadness and a lack of interest or pleasure in activities. The video discusses how chatbots can help alleviate symptoms of depression by providing interactive and empathetic support, although it clarifies that they are not a substitute for professional help.

💡Machine Learning

While not explicitly mentioned, the underlying technology of chatbots is based on machine learning, which allows them to produce conversations and respond to user inputs. The script implies the use of machine learning in the chatbots' ability to converse and adapt to users' needs, making them seem more responsive and personalized.

💡Suicide Prevention

The video clarifies that while chatbots can provide support for mental health symptoms, they are not equipped to prevent suicide. This highlights the importance of professional intervention and the limitations of chatbot technology in handling severe mental health crises.

💡Digital Psychiatry

Digital Psychiatry is an emerging field that combines technology with mental health care. The video touches on this concept by discussing the use of chatbots in mental health treatment, suggesting a shift towards integrating digital tools in traditional psychiatric practices.

💡Personalization

Personalization in the context of chatbots refers to their ability to remember and use information about the user, such as their name, to create a more tailored experience. The script mentions that chatbots can remember users' names but do not offer much beyond this level of personalization.

💡Stigma

Stigma refers to the social disapproval or negative attitudes associated with mental health issues. The video discusses the importance of addressing this stigma, as it can prevent individuals from seeking help and openly discussing their mental health.

💡Regulation

Regulation in the video pertains to the oversight and control of digital health tools, including chatbots. It is mentioned as a necessary step to ensure the safety and effectiveness of these tools, given the potential risks if they are not properly managed.

💡Health Professionals

Health professionals, such as doctors, psychologists, and psychiatrists, are emphasized in the video as essential in the development and oversight of chatbots. Their expertise is crucial for creating effective mental health tools and for understanding the limitations of what chatbots can achieve.

💡User Interface

The user interface of chatbots is highlighted in the script as a factor that can influence their effectiveness. It mentions the importance of the chatbot's ability to respond to typed inputs and show empathy, which can make the user feel more understood and supported.

Highlights

Mental health chatbots can help treat symptoms of depression according to NTU research.

Chatbots can interact with people to show empathy and encouragement to improve moods.

Chatbots cannot prevent suicide or provide advice for serious mental issues.

Apps can converse with people, offering a range of interaction methods including typing and multiple choice.

Chatbots with a variety of exercises and user responsiveness are more effective.

Empathy shown by chatbots is important for user engagement.

Chatbots are more oriented towards younger populations with modern language.

Chatbots lack personalization beyond remembering user names.

Users may feel more comfortable opening up to a machine due to the lack of stigma.

The anonymity of chatbots can help users who find it difficult to talk about mental health issues.

There is a need for a balance between addressing the root causes of mental health issues and utilizing digital tools.

Health professionals should be involved in the development of mental health chatbots.

There is a lack of regulation around digital health tools and chatbots in the market.

Some apps can be dangerous and there is a need for better market regulation.

It's important for users to know they are not interacting with a human to understand the limitations of chatbots.

The design of the perfect chatbot should consider the user's awareness of the machine's limitations and professional involvement in development.

Transcripts

oh mental health chatbots can help treat

symptoms of depression according to

findings from an NTU research team now

these apps can interact with people to

show empathy and encouragement to

improve moods now they can't prevent

suicide or provide advice for serious

mental issues so to share more we have

Dr Laura martinengo from the Lee Kong

Chen School of Medicine in and to Dr

martinengo let's first Define the

parameters of what these Bots can and

can't do

okay so we are talking here about

um apps uh that can help

people

um

punish their mental health symptoms

um these are apps that kind of uh can

converse with people it's a machine it's

a computer that produce conversations

with a user so some of these machines

the user can actually type things

uh some other apps will give you options

like a multiple choice and you tap on

the options to kind of guide you in in

the exercises nine of these apps yes

okay uh and as you just spelled out

there are different options it could be

a menu it could be typing words and

rather like when you log on to a

shopping site or bank and you don't know

how to proceed and you there's a little

thing that pops up on the side if you

could give me one example one of these

nine apps that you studied that you feel

was particularly effective or

particularly ineffective for whatever

reason uh we had um we have only a

spectrum of of chatbots from some that

were very very basic and I would say

quite ineffective to quite effective

ones uh for example can you identify one

feature that makes this kind of app

especially effective is there one thing

across the board I would say the variety

of exercises I can give the users and I

would say uh those apps where the user

can type things

and kind of seem to be more responsive

to them and to show a bit more empathy

if

I think this showing of empathy is

important also for example if the users

say I feel very sad

the chatbot can respond something like

oh I'm so sorry to hear you are sad uh

what is going on with you

do you want to share something or things

like that

um yeah did you find that uh a certain

demographic or a certain

particular kind of uh

person

responds better to these kind of chat

Bots in general when you see the way the

chat bodies kind of talking to the

person seems to be more orientated to

the younger population

they will use words like body or

Whatsapp or you know

language that probably the younger

people use so they seem to be the the

target User Group

now

there's this is probably the only thing

we can say because they are able to they

ask you your name and obviously the

system will will uh remember your name

but there are not many other ways that

the chatbot personalize the conversation

that's exactly it uh

I'm not the most sophisticated of people

but I think a sophisticated person would

think well if I see as you give that

example I am said the chatbot then

replies oh I'm very sorry to hear that

how can I help that's no different from

a shopping site how on Earth can anyone

feel better when a chat bot says I feel

bad that you feel sad

I think when you don't feel well

probably even hearing it from a machine

helps

also sometimes

is very difficult for people with mental

health disorders to actually talk about

these things and to tell to people I

don't feel well

so if this person feel very stigmatized

and feel like it's not easy to talk

about these things to open up to this

machine and say well I feel really

really bad today and to hear something

that seems like essentially what works

is that they don't feel it's a person

the only reason they can open up is

because they know it's not a person

um it could be it could be also that

they don't have the person in front of

them so this kind of distance

is what gives them the the

ability to actually talk about these

things yeah

students come to mind first of all

wouldn't that

the time that you've spent on this and

the money not just you but other people

in this area digital Psychiatry I

believe they call it wouldn't it be

better spent really dealing with the

root causes of how these chat Bots come

about in the first place and that is

lack of Talent on the ground in schools

lack of you know people ex Specialists

and then the other thing is the whole

stigma of of dealing with mental illness

shouldn't shouldn't that be where we are

focusing on I think we probably need to

focus a little bit on everything

it's true that stigma is a big problem I

think it's important and probably

covid-19 was

good if we can use that word

uh

to kind of bring mental health a bit

more in the open and to say and to

really say to people like it's fine if

you don't feel well you know you can't

talk about these things

um

but also we know that health

professionals are not enough

doctors psychology psychiatrists Etc so

we need other ways to

treat a larger amount of the population

so if you're going to use chat Bots how

are you going to design them do you want

to make them extra humanoid or

deliberately

anti-humanoid so for example there is

and I can see your point if I feel I'm

not talking to a person I am somehow

just putting it mechanically into a

mechanical diary I might actually be

more open about it so there might be

some function in making this less like a

person and more like a machine

if you decide for the future how would

you design the perfect chat box well

mental health issue that's a difficult

question but um

I would say it's important for the

person to know that there's not a human

on the other side because to also

understand what are the limitations of

the machine because obviously a machine

cannot do us many things as a human as a

human can do

so I think it's important that that

it's it's not they don't they know it's

not a human

first

um

then it's important that Healthcare

professionals are involved in the

development

probably it's important that there's

more regulation around what digital

tools and digital Health tools are out

there

the chat Bots we checked were all in the

App Store so whoever can go to the App

Store can download these apps there are

some good apps for example like things

like Wisa or robot Wi-Fi is usually is

in the mindline website in here in

Singapore but there are other apps that

are not good and and if you look at

those apps they can even be dangerous

the problem is that at the moment nobody

is truly regulating the market so

everything is still out there yeah all

right so obviously a Nissan sign say

well thanks so much for this mental

health chat boss we're talking about it

with Dr Laura martinengo from the Lee

Kong Chen School of Medicine in NT

thanks so much for joining us this

evening thank you very much