#2 Why I got into AI and Mental Health

Introduction

Welcome everyone, I am Eduardo W., and I am thrilled to kick off this channel dedicated to AI and mental health. This series of videos aims to delve into the intersection of chatbot conversational agents, artificial intelligence, and how these technologies can enhance our work as psychologists.

A Brief Introduction

For those who aren't familiar with me, my name is Eduardo Wong. I trained as a psychologist in Argentina, specifically at the University of Buenos Aires, primarily focusing on clinical psychology. Argentina has a unique issue: it boasts the highest number of psychologists per capita globally, with a significant focus on psychoanalysis. Although I was initially trained in psychoanalytic models, I soon became captivated by evidence-based psychotherapy, particularly cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).

Professional Journey

I began specializing in the treatment of children and adolescents dealing with anxiety, depression, and behavior problems. Along with some colleagues, including Jaim Mandil, I published several books and established an institute called ETCI. This institute has grown to become a leading training center for child psychologists in Latin America. While I'm no longer actively involved with ETCI, I enjoyed nearly a decade of training therapists across Latin America, particularly in Argentina.

Transition to Research

At a point, I felt the desire to make a more focused contribution to the field. This led me to migrate to the U.S. and join Palo Alto University’s doctoral program. I concentrated my research on integrating technology and mental health, initially exploring internet interventions, virtual reality, and video games aimed at preventing depression in adolescents.

The Discovery of Chatbots

In 2018, I stumbled upon the concept of chatbots, and my initial research in this area showed promising yet limited results. My first study indicated a high drop-off rate among users interacting with rudimentary, rule-based chatbots. This study set the stage for a more groundbreaking discovery in my second study, "Bonding with a Bot." Analyzing user comments revealed an unexpected emotional connection between users and chatbots. People described the bots in humanizing terms, despite the bots being technically basic and devoid of human traits.

Shift to Generative AI

The advent of generative AI and large language models opened new horizons. These advanced chatbots exhibited a far greater potential than anything we had previously imagined. Piqued by this advancement, I collaborated with colleagues and even reached out to Antonio Hardan, Chief of Child Psychiatry at Stanford University. He emphasized the urgent need for accessible, high-quality mental health treatments, inspiring us to view this technology not just as a research study, but as a viable product for real-world application.

Current Endeavors

Thus, the concept of Parent AI came to life, a chatbot designed to assist therapists in improving their service delivery. Stay tuned for upcoming videos where I’ll delve deeper into various aspects of AI in mental health. The first topic will be the distinctions between rule-based chatbots and generative AI chatbots.

See you in the next video. Bye for now!