1. Feasibility of combining spatial computing and AI for mental health support in anxiety and depression.
- Author
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Spiegel, Brennan M. R., Liran, Omer, Clark, Allistair, Samaan, Jamil S., Khalil, Carine, Chernoff, Robert, Reddy, Kavya, and Mehra, Muskaan
- Subjects
ANXIETY treatment ,SENTIMENT analysis ,AVATARS (Virtual reality) ,EVALUATION of human services programs ,SOCIAL support ,MOTIVATIONAL interviewing ,DIGITAL health ,ARTIFICIAL intelligence ,MENTAL health ,QUALITATIVE research ,SEVERITY of illness index ,PSYCHOLOGICAL tests ,MENTAL depression ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,RESEARCH funding ,THEMATIC analysis ,PSYCHOTHERAPY ,COGNITIVE therapy - Abstract
The increasing need for mental health support and a shortage of therapists have led to the development of the eXtended-reality Artificial Intelligence Assistant (XAIA). This platform combines spatial computing, virtual reality (VR), and artificial intelligence (AI) to provide immersive mental health support. Utilizing GPT-4 for AI-driven therapy, XAIA engaged participants with mild-to-moderate anxiety or depression in biophilic VR environments. Speaking with an AI therapy avatar in VR was considered acceptable, helpful, and safe, with participants observed to engage genuinely with the program. However, some still favored human interaction and identified shortcomings with using a digital VR therapist. The study provides initial evidence of the acceptability and safety of AI psychotherapy via spatial computing, warranting further research on technical enhancements and clinical impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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