We all had a tough time in isolation during the lockdown that the pandemic caused. We realized how important it was to have someone around or to even be in the presence of people. This could even be the everyday commute co-passenger of your metro ride whom you have just passed a smile to or waved but not talked to. We all missed our daily lives that came to a standstill with the scare and fear of the deadly virus.

The situation was tough for all of us and even tougher for some others. Our mental health and wellbeing were impacted because we humans are social creatures and were stuck in a state of isolation. This had a toll on our mood. 

The point we are trying to draw here is that mental health is pretty often ignored by us, be it for our own selves or for our fellow humans. Yet, mental health is a critical aspect of our health and is the foundation for the effective functioning of our bodies.

WHO estimates that the burden of mental health problems in India is 2443 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) per 100 00 population; the age-adjusted suicide rate per 100 000 population is 21.1. The economic loss due to mental health conditions between 2012-2030 is estimated at USD 1.03 trillion.

WHO also states that the mental health workforce in India is not upto the mark and there is a huge shortage of psychiatrists and psychologists in the country as compared to the number of people suffering from mental health issues. WHO states that in India, (per 100,000 population) there are psychiatrists (0.3), nurses (0.12), psychologists (0.07) and social workers (0.07), while the desirable number is anything above 3 psychiatrists and psychologists per 100,000 population.

In this scenario, a country like ours must pay attention to mental health. To attend and cater to the needs of the massive population of India, technology is the solution. 

AI has been instrumental in making things possible and easier which looked impossible a decade ago. Chatbots are the newest addition to aid mental health issues in India. People often either do not realize the issues with their mental health or ignore taking help from professionals owing to inertia or taboo associated with mental wellbeing. 

With the AI-enabled chatbots, people can now speak and express themselves anytime, anywhere. These chatbots use Natural Language Processing(NLP) based frameworks which can communicate with users in written, visual, and spoken formats. These bots not only detect verbal cues but nonverbal cues as well. They can capture expression, gesture, and posture, too, which are highly important in psychometry. They work just like a therapist and take account and notice of all relevant information. These chatbots can improve and advance diagnostic precision. The algorithms have been successfully detecting signs of conditions like depression and post-traumatic stress disorder by analyzing speech patterns and facial expressions.

India-based, Wysa is an AI-enabled Life Coach for mental and emotional wellness. Launched in 2017, Wysa provides early intervention to high-risk groups through 3 methods: an AI chatbot, a library of evidence-based self-help tools, and messaging-based support from human therapists. Wysa has helped 3 million people in 60+ countries with 100+ million conversations. It has been helping users self-manage stressors by blending AI-guided listening with professional expert support.

Let’s have a look at the benefits that these AI-enabled chatbots provide and how they are set to revolutionize mental health care.

• Reduced bias- These bots won’t have problems of inclinations towards a certain set of problems, gender, race, or community. We humans can be biased towards a certain issue more; however, if the algorithm is trained on the right data while being cautious about bias, the results can be bias-free and promising. This would also mean lesser chances of human error. There is always a fear of human error with prolonged work hours and situation-based events around psychiatrists and therapists.

• Combined mental and physical healthcare- Integration of physical healthcare data such as a patient’s medical records, medication, family history, and other issues with the bots can speed up the process of reaching those people who are at risk of mental issues. Or can even put them in bands based on the severity of the condition.

• 24*7 availability- These bots are available on your devices without time or location constraints. 

• Personalization- When it comes to psychometry, every case is unique, and with one on one interactions with the bot, the patient gets a sense of privacy and personal touch.

• Increased access- You can have these chatbots installed and integrated with various platforms and over multiple devices. This provides a sense of privacy, and the patient can access them anywhere. These advanced analytics technologies have the potential to remove access challenges for marginalized groups or for people who feel uncomfortable opening about their problems in front of anyone. This will also help in removing taboos associated with mental health and ease the overall process.

• Early detection- The technology has the ability to obtain insights from massive amounts of data which can help in early detection. With the analysis of patient’s behavior and response patterns, the bots can assess the situation faster and better.

Even with all the said benefits, it is worth mentioning that there will always be a need for human-to-human connection. The role of AI is to assist humans, speed up the process, and reduce costs rather than replace humans. The success of these bots, like any other AI algorithm, depends on data which in turn requires more usage. More engagement and repetitive use of these bots can improve their efficiency and accuracy manifolds. The state of mental health of a country correlates with its economic growth, and hence all nations should focus on the mental wellbeing of their citizens using revolutionary technologies along with taking proper measures.