Understanding the Benefits and Challenges of Using Large Language Model-based Conversational Agents for Mental Well-being Support

Understand

Conversational agents powered by large language models (LLM) have increasingly been utilized in the realm of mental well-being support.

• However, the implications and outcomes associated with their usage in such a critical field remain somewhat ambiguous and unexplored.
• We conducted a qualitative analysis of 120 posts, encompassing 2917 user comments, drawn from the most popular subreddit focused on mental health support applications powered by large language models (u/Replika).
• This exploration aimed to shed light on the advantages and potential pitfalls associated with the integration of these sophisticated models in conversational agents intended for mental health support.