Artificial intelligence (AI) therapy "works best" when patients "feel emotionally close to their chatbot", according to a study from the University of Sussex.
With more than one in three UK residents now using AI to support their mental health or wellbeing according to Mental Health UK, university researchers say the study highlights the key to effective chatbot therapy, as well as the risks of "synthetic intimacy".
The research, published in Social Science & Medicine journal on Tuesday, is based on feedback from 4,000 users of Wysa, a mental health app prescribed under the NHS Talking Therapies programme.
The NHS has been approached for comment.
The study reported that users commonly referred to the app as a "friend, companion, therapist and even occasionally partner".
