CHATBOTS & THERAPY  | The Independent
By Myriam Toua |
 Image: The Independent (independent.co.uk). What happened: A British Psychological Society survey of 197 psychologists, counsellors and psychotherapists found 7 in 10 are concerned about people using AI chatbots for mental-health advice, with respondents reporting a 49% rise in clients seeking chatbot support over the past year. Key points: - About 88% said clients rely too heavily on AI, and 76% said the technology is hurting clients' mental wellbeing, according to the BPS survey.
- BPS president Dr Laura Dean says open-access chatbots risk giving "unqualified and harmful" advice, and that AI in care needs safeguards protecting both professionals and clients.
- One surveyed practitioner worried clients pick AI because it feels safer than risking trust with a person, which could deepen isolation and erode social skills.
- Rosie Weatherley of the mental-health charity Mind says even casual generative AI use can cause harm, though Mind backs tools that help people understand mental health and find services.
| Why this matters: The survey comes from a UK professional body, but the pattern it describes, clients turning to chatbots for emotional support and practitioners growing uneasy about it, is worth watching for in any practice. It's a sign that understanding what these tools tell clients, and why some find them easier than a human, is becoming part of understanding what shapes their mental health. |
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