Chatbot-delivered mental health support: Attitudes and utilization in a sample of U.S. college students

Chatbots' rapid advancements raise the possibility that they can be used to deliver mental health support. However, public utilization of and opinions toward chatbots for mental health support are poorly understood. Survey study of 428 U.S. university students who participated in early 2024, ju...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Digital health 2025-01, Vol.11, p.20552076241313401
Main Authors: Rackoff, Gavin N, Zhang, Zhenyu Z, Newman, Michelle G
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Chatbots' rapid advancements raise the possibility that they can be used to deliver mental health support. However, public utilization of and opinions toward chatbots for mental health support are poorly understood. Survey study of 428 U.S. university students who participated in early 2024, just over one year after the release of ChatGPT. Descriptive analyses examined utilization of and attitudes toward both traditional mental health services (i.e. psychotherapy, counseling, or medication) and chatbot-delivered mental health support. Nearly half (49%) of participants reported having used a chatbot for any purpose, yet only 5% reported seeking mental health support from a chatbot (8% when only considering participants with probable depression or generalized anxiety disorder). Attitudes toward traditional mental health services were broadly positive, and attitudes toward chatbot-delivered support were neutral and significantly less positive ( = 1.18,
ISSN:2055-2076
2055-2076
DOI:10.1177/20552076241313401