Social Robots set for a role in Mental Health Treatment

1. Social Robots set for a role in Mental Health  Treatment  The discussion about mental health issues has been a taboo for a  long time and the situation has not changed even today. So many  people, because of the fear of judgment and social stigma lying  around mental health are unable to visit a therapist to seek support.  For such reasons, the mental healthcare practitioners and developers  have joined hands to integrate technology in providing solutions to  this grave issue by combining artificial intelligence with emotional  intelligence. It is a new concept which has now become synonymous  to talking to a mental healthcare professional in real life. The  introduction of ​robotics technology in mental healthcare industry​ has  changed many parameters.   

2. What is mental health chatbot?  In simple words, it is a clinically proven AI-powered chatbot created  through a set of intelligently executed algorithms and instructions that  offer an interface similar to an online chatbot usually found on  websites. It has been developed with a motto to offer primary mental  healthcare facilities for people who usually find it inaccessible.  Such AI chatbots are designed to hold a conversation with individuals  who need help in sorting out their mental health issues. There are so  many people who never receive proper treatment when they require it  because of various reasons including heavy costs, fear of judgment  and a denial mode about their suffering from these mental health  illnesses.  To address these concerns, robotics technology in mental  healthcarehas beenintroduced. This enabled the people suffering from  mental health issues to come out of their nutshell and talk to these  mental health talkbots​. These ​social robots in the mental health  domain provide solutions based on CBT (Cognitive Behavioral  Therapy).  These talkbots talk to an individual and offer positive solutions in the  primary phase, they also gather information to help the mental health  practitioner analyze an individual’s mental health condition. These  chatbots are made using the concept of Natural Language Processing  (NLP) which enables them to understand the conversation in human  language.  

3. These ​mental health chatbots​ provide a lot of anonymity and 24*7  availability. They have changed the role of social robots in mental  health treatments. With such possibilities, the individuals suffering  from mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and other  problems can talk to these chatbots and get primitive solutions.  With the introduction of these AI-powered therapists; mental  healthcare has become more accessible. In addition to this, because  of the constant availability, you can talk to the mental health chatbot  as and when required. As a consequence, the management of mental  health issues has become a lot easier than it was initially. Moreover,  face-to-face therapy becomes essential only when the issue is more  serious. Additionally, they help them keep track of the patient and  notify them in case of an emergency.  Although, a fact should be made very clear here, that these mental  health chatbots cannot replace a mental healthcare practitioner. It can  merely be used to gather primary information and treat negative  thoughts based on the concept of CBT.  Wrapping it up:  With the advancement in science and technology, the introduction of  AI in various sectors including mental healthcare has been a  game-changer. Until certain years, AI was just a concept. In the last  few years, AI has been successfully implemented in various fields. In  the upcoming future, these social robots could prove to be very useful  for both the patient and the medical practitioner in the mental  healthcare sector.  

4. Reference URL: https://mentalhealthchatbot.wordpress.com/2021/02/10/social-robots-set-for-a-role-in-mental-he alth-treatment/