Artificial intelligence’s presence is growing in the education world. AI chatbots like ElizaChat are being developed to help students with mental health concerns. These chatbots aim to offer support for students in a new, convenient and private way.
According to a study done by the Utah Behavioral Health Coalition: “The percentage of young adults with serious thoughts of suicide increased in the past year as has the percentage of young adults with serious mental illnesses. Utah’s rates are estimated to be higher than the national average, with the prevalence of young adults with serious mental illnesses being statistically significant.”
ElizaChat is a chatbot designed to provide mental health support by offering guidance and coping strategies to students. It operates 24/7, ensuring accessibility for users seeking help with minor mental health concerns. The goal of ElizaChat is to bridge the gap in mental health care by providing affordable, private and convenient support.
Samantha Weston, a junior exercise science major from Lyman, Wyoming, said, “I would feel comfortable using a chatbot to discuss initial mental help concerns because you can do it in the comfort of your own home.”
While chatbots can reduce the discomfort some students might feel when discussing sensitive topics, they may not offer the same level of empathy that in-person support provides.
Weston said, “I think that it would be an advantage to give people an easy, accessible way to talk about mental health, but I feel that it’s a disadvantage to talk to a computer instead of a real person who can empathize with you in a vulnerable moment.”
For many, the most impactful part of mental support is the connection one has with their therapist. While AI chatbots can be a great starting point for one’s mental health journey, they aren’t programmed to deal with complex emotional situations. This limitation means that for deeper, more complex issues, human intervention remains essential.
Dr. Lisa Scott, assistant professor of psychology, said, “A huge percentage of the healing that happens in therapy is due to the relationship that gets built between the therapist and the client.”
The chatbot could help students by providing basic assessments or suggesting coping strategies. It could also help students identify what kind of support they may need. This includes advice for stress management, anxiety-reducing techniques and pointing them in the direction of a human counselor.
The Utah Behavioral Health Coalition emphasized the importance of tools like these and said, “A key component of this education is behavioral health navigation tools that help patients and consumers understand how to access high-quality behavioral health services and help providers manage and coordinate care.”
As AI evolves, tools like ElizaChat may become more common in educational settings. For students, these chatbots can offer a helpful push in the right direction when it comes to addressing mental health concerns. They provide a readily available option for initial support, particularly when in-person resources are limited or unavailable.
“I think chatbots will be really good at teaching skills and tools, but that’s just one aspect of therapy,” Scott said.
AI tools are often described as convenient and may be effectively used as an additional resource in conjunction with traditional counseling services. This combination can help students receive the immediate help and emotional care they need to succeed.
