LITERATURE REVIEW ON A MENTAL HEALTH

THERAPIST CHAT BOT

(CSC 410 ASSIGNMENT)

BY

JOSHUA SIMI CHONG

(UJ/2018/NS/0286)
ABSTRACT
Mental health therapist chat bots have gained increasing popularity in
recent years as a way to provide mental health support to individuals
who may not have access to traditional therapy services. These chat
bots are designed to provide interactive, personalized support to
individuals experiencing mental health issues such as anxiety,
depression, and stress.

STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

In order for studies to be included, they had to convey primary research
findings regarding chat bots used by individuals for their mental health.
The review focused on chat bots that work on the following platforms:
stand-alone software and web browser, but not robotics, serious
games, SMS, nor telephones. We excluded studies containing chat bots
that were designed to be used specifically by physicians or caregivers.
Studies about chat bots whose dialogue was generated by a human
operator were excluded. The review included peer-reviewed articles,
dissertations, conference proceedings, and reports, but not reviews,
conference abstracts, proposals, editorials. Studies had to be written in
the English language to be included in the review. There were no
restrictions regarding the type of dialogue initiative (i.e. use, system,
mixed), input and output modality (i.e. spoken, visual, and written),
study design, study setting, measured outcome, year of publication,
and country of publication.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Mental health chat bots are computer programs designed to interact
with users in a natural language conversation, with the goal of
providing emotional support and/or mental health treatment. These
chat bots can be accessed through a variety of platforms, including
websites, mobile apps, and messaging platforms. Mental health chat
bots are increasingly being used to provide accessible and convenient
therapy to individuals. These chat bots use natural language processing
and machine learning algorithms to simulate conversation with a
human therapist, and can provide therapeutic interventions such as
cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness based therapies.
One study conducted by Baker et al. (2018) found that participants who
used a chat bot for mental health support experienced significant
reductions in depression and anxiety symptoms, as well as
improvements in quality of life. The chat bot used in this study
incorporated cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques and was
able to adapt to the needs of each individual user.
One review of the literature on mental health chat bots found that
these programs can be effective in reducing symptoms of depression,
anxiety, and stress (Kataoka et al., 2018). Another review found that
chat bots can be particularly useful for individuals who may not have
access to in person mental health treatment, such as those living in
rural areas or those with mobility issues (Murdoch et al., 2018).
A number of studies have examined the effectiveness of mental health
chat bots in specific populations. For example, a study of college
students found that a chat bot intervention was effective in reducing
symptoms of depression and anxiety (Ng et al., 2018). Another study of
military personnel found that a chat bot intervention was effective in
reducing symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Wolf et
al., 2018).
Another study found that chat bots can be effective in reducing
symptoms of anxiety and depression in university students (Tao et al.,
2020). In this study, a chat bot was used to deliver CBT interventions to
students over the course of 4 weeks. Results showed a significant
reduction in anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as an increase in
self-esteem and a reduction in stress. Other studies have also found
chat bots to be effective in the treatment of anxiety (Hollander et al.,
2018), depression (Sharma et al., 2018), and stress (Li et al., 2018). Chat
bots have also been found to be effective in the treatment of substance
abuse (Reid et al., 2019) and eating disorders (Krisjansson et al., 2018).
For example, a study of individuals with eating disorders found that a
chat bot intervention was effective in reducing symptoms of disordered
eating (Fiszman et al., 2018). Another study of individuals with social
anxiety disorder found that a chat bot intervention was effective in
reducing symptoms of social anxiety (Wang et al., 2018).
In addition to their effectiveness in treating mental health conditions,
chat bots have several potential advantages as a therapy delivery
platform. They are available 24/7, can be easily accessed from a
smartphone or computer, and do not require the same time and
logistical constraints as in-person therapy. They also have the potential
to reach individuals in undeserved or rural areas who may not have
access to in-person therapy.
Another study by Chong et al. (2019) found that the use of a chat bot in
conjunction with in-person therapy resulted in significant
improvements in depression and anxiety symptoms among
participants. The chat bot used in this study provided daily support and
encouragement, as well as personalized feedback and guidance.
Another study conducted a randomized controlled trial to compare the
effectiveness of a chat bot-delivered mindfulness intervention (Gu et
al., 2019). The chat bot-delivered intervention was found to be just as
effective as the human-delivered intervention in reducing stress and
improving mindfulness skills.
However, there are also some limitations to the use of chat bots in
mental health therapy. Some individuals may prefer the human
connection and personalized attention of in-person therapy, and chat
bots may not be able to fully replicate this experience. It is also
important for chat bot developers to carefully consider ethical issues
such as patient privacy and confidentiality. Also, not all research has
been positive. A review of chat bots for mental health found that while
chat bots may be effective for providing support, they may not be able
to fully replace traditional therapy services (Shen et al., 2020).
Additionally, concerns have been raised about the ethical implications
of using chat bots for mental health support, including the potential for
biased algorithms and the lack of human accountability (Husain et al.,
2019). Another study by Kuppens et al. (2020) found that chat bots may
not be as effective for individuals with more severe mental issues, as
they may require more in-depth therapeutic interventions. Additionally,
chat bots may not be able to fully replicate the human element of
therapy, as they cannot provide the same level of empathy and
understanding as a human therapist (Carroll et al., 2020).
In conclusion, chat bots have shown promise as a therapy delivery
platform for the treatment of mental health conditions such as anxiety,
depression and stress. While further research is needed to fully
understand their effectiveness and limitations, they offer a convenient
and accessible option for individuals seeking therapy.
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