Israelis in emotional distress are turning to ChatGPT for help, study finds
Unlike psychologists or dedicated digital therapeutics, consumer AI systems carry no clinical mandate and have no recognized safeguards for managing psychological crises.
A new study from Tel Hai College of the Galilee reveals that Israeli individuals experiencing severe psychological distress are increasingly turning to generative AI, such as ChatGPT, for emotional support. The researchers surveyed 584 Israeli adults aged 18 to 70 who used general-purpose generative AI tools at least once in the past year. Nearly one in three AI users reported seeking emotional support, with the rate rising to nearly one in two for those with severe psychological distress.
The study, titled "AI-mediated mental health support: The role of attachment orientation and psychological distress," suggests that emotional distress is the strongest predictor of turning to AI for support. Younger participants and women were also more likely to use AI for mental health-related purposes. While AI offers immediate, accessible, and nonjudgmental interactions, it lacks genuine empathy, clinical boundary awareness, and crisis-intervention capabilities, putting vulnerable users at risk when they need real human help the most.
The researchers caution that relying on AI for mental health support could create a self-reinforcing or paradoxical dynamic, where actions taken to solve a problem may worsen the same problem. The study acknowledges that it cannot determine whether AI interactions help or harm users and calls for further research on safety, crisis-response quality, and the potential for AI to replace professional support in some cases.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
