Therabot Trial Shows AI Therapy Matches Traditional Methods in Mental Health Care

Dartmouth researchers publish groundbreaking results on AI-powered chatbot's effectiveness in reducing mental health symptoms, with crucial calls for clinician oversight.

• Therabot, a generative AI therapy chatbot developed by Dartmouth, significantly reduced symptoms of depression, anxiety, and eating disorders in a clinical trial involving 106 participants.
• Participants reported a 51% decrease in depressive symptoms, a 31% reduction in anxiety, and a 19% improvement in body image concerns, comparable to traditional therapy outcomes.
• The chatbot, designed with input from mental health professionals and based on CBT principles, provided real-time support, particularly during late-night hours and moments of acute distress.
• Researchers emphasized that AI tools like Therabot are not ready for autonomous use and require clinician oversight to mitigate risks and ensure safety.
• Published in the New England Journal of Medicine AI, the study highlights the potential of AI to address the shortage of mental health providers, with one therapist available for every 1,600 patients in the U.S.

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