Artificial intelligence chatbots like ChatGPT are embedded in modern life, with some Australians using them to help work through PTSD and toxic work environments.

Client101 is an edtech platform of simulated mental‑health clients that helps psychotherapy and online counselling students practice safely and receive objective feedback.

Nobel Prize winner Bertrand Russell gets first feature biopic.

Background: In recent years large language models (LLMs) have shown remarkable ability to generate human-like text. One potential application of this capability is using LLMs to simulate clients in a mental health context. This research presents the development and evaluation of Client101, a web conversational. platform featuring LLM-driven chatbots designed to simulate mental health clients. Objective: Develop and test a web-based conversational psychotherapy training tool designed to closely resemble clients with mental health issues. Methods: We used GPT-4 and prompt engineering techniques to develop chatbots that simulate realistic client conversations. Two chatbots were created based on clinical vignette cases: one representing a person with depression and the other, a person with generalized anxiety disorder. 16 mental health professionals were instructed to conduct single sessions with the chatbots using a cognitive behavioral therapy framework; a total of 15 sessions with the anxiety chatbot and 14 with the depression chatbot were completed. After each session, participants completed an 18-question survey assessing the chatbot’s ability to simulate the mental health condition and its potential as a training tool. Additionally, we used the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) tool to analyze the psycholinguistic features of the chatbot conversations related to anxiety and depression. These features were compared to those in a set of webchat psychotherapy sessions with human clients —42 sessions related to anxiety and 47 related to depression—using an independent samples t-test. Results: Participants' survey responses were predominantly positive regarding the chatbots' realism and portrayal of mental health conditions, with over 80% selecting either "strongly agree" or "agree" that the chatbots provided a realistic, engaging, coherent, and convincing narrative typical of clients with anxiety or depression. The statistical analysis of LIWC psycholinguistic features revealed significant differences between chatbot and human therapy transcripts for 3 of 8 anxiety-related features: Negations (t(56)=4.03, P=.001), Family (t(56)=-8.62, P=.001), and Negative Emotions (t(56)=-3.91, P=.002). The remaining 5 features—Sadness, Personal Pronouns, Present Focus, Social, and Anger—did not show significant differences. For depression-related features, 4 out of 9 showed significant differences: Negative Emotions (t(60)=-3.84, P=.003), Feeling (t(60)=-6.40, P< .001), Health (t(60)=-4.13, P=.001), and Illness (t(60)=-5.52, P

University students face increasing mental health challenges, yet traditional assessment methods often lack timeliness and contextual relevance. This …

Background: In recent years large language models (LLMs) have shown remarkable ability to generate human-like text. One potential application of this capability is using LLMs to simulate clients in a ...

Background Self-guided mental health smartphone applications (apps) have the potential to increase access to evidence-based psychological interventions and reduce the burden on staff resources in stra...

OpenAI said it's hiring a forensic psychiatrist to help research the effects of its AI products on users' mental health.

A landmark AI therapy chatbot is closing down on June 30, and industry experts believe that its demise is most likely in response to the challenges of delivering impactful mental health services and n...

Daniel Cabrera Lozoya, Eloy Hernandez Lua, Juan Alberto Barajas Perches, Mike Conway, Simon D’Alfonso. Proceedings of the 10th Workshop on Computational Linguistics and Clinical Psychology (CLPsych 20...

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AI may appear human, but it is an illusion we must tackle.

From virtual ‘wives’ to mental health support, more than 100m people are using personified chatbots

The use of artificial intelligence in psychotherapy is on the rise – but it comes with a warning.

Clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) have the potential to assist health professionals in making informed and cost-effective clinical decisions w…

By Alexandra Bloch-Atefi. As AI transforms mental healthcare, it presents both opportunities and ethical challenges—demanding a balance between technological innovation and the preservation of essenti...

School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Full-time (100%), permanent position Base salary will be in the range $112,572.59 - $133,381.10 + 17% Superannuation (Academic Level B) Base salar...

Therapeutic alliance (TA) refers to the relationship between a therapist and a client in face-to-face therapy and is an essential ingredient in successful psychological therapy outcomes. With the a...

Home Application Workshops & Instructors Schedule Practical matters Organizers & Sponsors   Workshop A: FROM PIXELS TO PSYCHOLOGY: DECODING BEHAVIOUR THROUGH SMARTPHONE SENSING Maximum number of parti...

Background: Smartphones have become an indispensable part of people’s lives, and the fear of being without them, what has been termed “no mobile phone phobia” (nomophobia), is a growing phenomenon. Th...

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Health information technologies are transforming how mental healthcare is paid for through value-based care programs, which tie payment to data quantifying care outcomes. But, it is unclear what outco...