.svg)
How Artificial Intelligence Can Support Your Mental Health Journey
What’s the best way to use artificial intelligence to improve mental health? At TheraHive, we believe AI has potential as a supportive tool in learning mental health skills, but not as a replacement for genuine human connection. Here, we’ll share our approach to using AI as a practice partner in a safe, supportive way—without losing sight of the irreplaceable value of human relationships.
AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement for Human Connection
Human beings are inherently social. Working on mental health is ultimately about building better connections with others and achieving meaningful goals. That fundamental human connection is irreplaceable, and AI will never take the place of real relationships. As Jessica Grose emphasized in her recent New York Times article, the belief that AI can “fill in the void” left by human connection misinterprets loneliness as simply a lack of engagement, rather than a nuanced need for meaningful, embodied connection with others.
However, when used as a tool, AI offers benefits in mental health practice:
- Practicing Skills in a Low-Stakes Setting: AI can act as a practice partner, allowing users to work through new mental health skills in a low-pressure environment.
- Providing Real-Time Feedback: AI can serve as a mirror, offering real-time feedback on skill use to help individuals refine their practice and self-awareness.
Avoiding Pitfalls: AI as a Substitute for Human Relationships
While AI can support skill-building, it’s essential to recognize its limitations. Grose points to the trend of people seeking companionship or guidance from AI to alleviate loneliness, but as research shows, AI chatbots fall short of meeting the embodied and contextual needs of human connection. Sociologist Eric Klinenberg describes loneliness as “our bodies’ signal to us that we need better, more satisfying connections with other people,” which can’t be met solely through digital or virtual means. Relying on AI for companionship may even dull our drive to engage with others, further entrenching isolation. This is why mental health groups, like those at TheraHive, are invaluable. They provide a supportive environment of people who, like you, are there to learn and practice mental health skills. Research consistently shows that the most effective way to develop these skills is in group settings, where people can share, connect, and learn together. Grose echoes this idea, urging investment in real social infrastructure, like housing, parks, and libraries, to foster genuine connectedness.
Our Relationship with Innovation
The allure of innovation is powerful. As a society, we’re constantly looking for the next big thing—whether it’s a tool to save time, make life easier, or improve our health. But there’s a dialectic here, which is central to DBT: while some innovation genuinely enhances life, others can foster ineffective behaviors.For instance, diet pills may help with weight management, but they don’t replace the benefits of exercise, like muscle strength or cardiovascular health. Likewise, when it comes to mental health, there aren’t shortcuts. Sustainable growth and well-being come from intentional practice and skill development—not from quick fixes.
How TheraHive Uses AI to Support Skill Development
At TheraHive, we’re in the early stages of integrating AI into our program in two specific ways:
- Targeted Practice Partners: We’re embedding small AI agents to help you practice specific mental health skills in a focused way.
- Real-Time Skill Support: Our AI tools provide on-the-spot feedback, helping you remember and apply DBT skill steps whenever you need extra support.
As Grose notes, the real challenge lies in meeting the social and emotional needs of vulnerable people, not just through technology but by fostering meaningful, human-centered solutions. We’re excited about the potential for AI to support learning, and we’d love to hear from you! What are some other ways you think AI could be helpful in mental health?
{{promo-banner-1}}
.png)