• Posted January 26, 2025

AI Virtual Therapists Could Improve Mental Health Care, Studies Find

Could a virtual avatar be the future of mental health care?  

New research shows that artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) goggles could revolutionize therapy -- helping patients overcome addiction and receive unbiased care.

A recent study in the Journal of Medical Extended Reality focused on patients with alcohol-associated cirrhosis, a serious liver condition linked to long-term alcohol use.

Using a VR app developed at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, patients had counseling sessions with AI-powered avatars programmed for motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral therapy.

After 30-minute sessions, 85% of participants said they found the experience to be helpful, and 90% expressed interest in doing it again. 

“For individuals awaiting liver transplants for cirrhosis, alcohol addiction remains a high-risk factor,” corresponding author Dr. Brennan Spiegel, a professor of medicine and director of health services research at Cedars-Sinai, said in a news release. “We see VR as a way to augment traditional interventions, which often fall short due to a shortage of mental health professionals, societal stigmatizing of alcoholism and other factors.”

A second study, published earlier this month in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, explored whether AI-driven virtual therapists could provide care to a varied selection of patients.

Researchers simulated more than 400 conversations between AI-powered therapists and virtual patients, assigning each patient a unique profile based on characteristics such as race, age, gender or income level. 

The result? No significant bias in the tone or mood of the therapist’s responses was found, suggesting AI could provide fair and personalized care when designed thoughtfully.

“This data suggests that with thoughtful design, AI can offer equitable and personalized care,” Spiegel noted.

Dr. Peter Chen, interim chair of the Cedars-Sinai Department of Medicine, praised the effort to develop patient-centered approaches to care. 

“These two studies underscore Cedars-Sinai’s commitment to exploring the tremendous potential of artificial intelligence for mental health therapy while ensuring that this technology does not perpetuate human biases in delivering healthcare,” he said in a news release.

More information

The American Psychological Association (APA) has more on artificial intelligence in mental health care.

SOURCE: Cedars-Sinai, news release, Jan. 20, 2025