AI Virtual Therapists Could Improve Mental Health Care, Studies Find

Follow Drugslib on

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.

By India Edwards HealthDay Reporter

SUNDAY, Jan. 26, 2025 -- Could a virtual avatar be the future of mental health care?

New research shows that artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) goggles could revolutionize therapy -- helping patients overcome addiction and receive unbiased care.

A recent study in the Journal of Medical Extended Reality focused on patients with alcohol-associated cirrhosis, a serious liver condition linked to long-term alcohol use.

Using a VR app developed at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, patients had counseling sessions with AI-powered avatars programmed for motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral therapy.

After 30-minute sessions, 85% of participants said they found the experience to be helpful, and 90% expressed interest in doing it again.

“For individuals awaiting liver transplants for cirrhosis, alcohol addiction remains a high-risk factor,” corresponding author Dr. Brennan Spiegel, a professor of medicine and director of health services research at Cedars-Sinai, said in a news release. “We see VR as a way to augment traditional interventions, which often fall short due to a shortage of mental health professionals, societal stigmatizing of alcoholism and other factors.”

A second study, published earlier this month in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, explored whether AI-driven virtual therapists could provide care to a varied selection of patients.

Researchers simulated more than 400 conversations between AI-powered therapists and virtual patients, assigning each patient a unique profile based on characteristics such as race, age, gender or income level.

The result? No significant bias in the tone or mood of the therapist’s responses was found, suggesting AI could provide fair and personalized care when designed thoughtfully.

“This data suggests that with thoughtful design, AI can offer equitable and personalized care,” Spiegel noted.

Dr. Peter Chen, interim chair of the Cedars-Sinai Department of Medicine, praised the effort to develop patient-centered approaches to care.

“These two studies underscore Cedars-Sinai’s commitment to exploring the tremendous potential of artificial intelligence for mental health therapy while ensuring that this technology does not perpetuate human biases in delivering healthcare,” he said in a news release.

Sources

  • Cedars-Sinai, news release, Jan. 20, 2025

    • Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

    Source: HealthDay

    Posted : 2025-01-27 00:00

    Read more

    Disclaimer

    Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

    The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

    Popular Keywords