"I've talked to ChatGPT about my issues last night.": Examining Mental Health Conversations with Large Language Models through Reddit Analysis
Kyuha Jung, Gyuho Lee, Yuanhui Huang, Yunan Chen
TL;DR
The paper investigates how people use a general-purpose large language model (ChatGPT) for mental health discussions by analyzing Reddit posts and comments from the r/ChatGPT community during the first year after the model's public release. Through a qualitative thematic analysis, the authors identify ChatGPT as a readily accessible, non-judgmental space that provides actionable guidance, emotional support, and sensemaking, and they document new roles such as drafting messages for difficult conversations, enhancing therapy between sessions, and simulating therapeutic interventions. At the same time, the study highlights risks including misinformation, uncritical affirmation, potential misuse as a substitute for professional therapy, and privacy concerns, and it discusses strategies for mitigating these risks. The findings have implications for everyday mental health support and potential integration into clinical contexts, underscoring the need for careful design and validation of LLM-powered mental health tools to balance benefits with safety and ethical considerations.
Abstract
We investigate the role of large language models (LLMs) in supporting mental health by analyzing Reddit posts and comments about mental health conversations with ChatGPT. Our findings reveal that users value ChatGPT as a safe, non-judgmental space, often favoring it over human support due to its accessibility, availability, and knowledgeable responses. ChatGPT provides a range of support, including actionable advice, emotional support, and validation, while helping users better understand their mental states. Additionally, we found that ChatGPT offers innovative support for individuals facing mental health challenges, such as assistance in navigating difficult conversations, preparing for therapy sessions, and exploring therapeutic interventions. However, users also voiced potential risks, including the spread of incorrect health advice, ChatGPT's overly validating nature, and privacy concerns. We discuss the implications of LLMs as tools for mental health support in both everyday health and clinical therapy settings and suggest strategies to mitigate risks in LLM-powered interactions.