Consumer perspectives on the use of Artificial Intelligence technology and automation in crisis support services: Mixed methods study

BACKGROUND: Emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), have the potential to enhance service responsiveness and quality, improve reach to underserved groups, and help address the lack of workforce capacity in health and mental health care. However, little research has been conducted on the acceptability of AI, particularly in mental health and crisis support, and how this may inform the development of responsible and responsive innovation in the area. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the level of support for the use of technology and automation, such as AI, in Lifeline’s crisis support services in Australia; the likelihood of service use if technology and automation were implemented; the impact of demographic characteristics on the level of support and likelihood of service use; and reasons for not using Lifeline’s crisis support services if technology and automation were implemented in the future. METHODS: A mixed methods study involving a computer-assisted telephone interview and a web-based survey was undertaken from 2019 to 2020 to explore expectations and anticipated outcomes of Lifeline’s crisis support services in a nationally representative community sample (n=1300) and a Lifeline help-seeker sample (n=553). Participants were aged between 18 and 93 years. Quantitative descriptive analysis, binary logistic regression models, and qualitative thematic analysis were conducted to address the research objectives. RESULTS: One-third of the community and help-seeker participants did not support the collection of information about service users through technology and automation (ie, via AI), and approximately half of the participants reported that they would be less likely to use the service if automation was introduced. Significant demographic differences were observed between the community and help-seeker samples. Of the demographics, only older age predicted being less likely to endorse technology and automation to tailor Lifeline’s crisis support service and use such services (odds ratio 1.48-1.66, 99% CI 1.03-2.38; P<.001 to P=.005). The most common reason for reluctance, reported by both samples, was that respondents wanted to speak to a real person, assuming that human counselors would be replaced by automated robots or machine services. CONCLUSIONS: Although Lifeline plans to always have a real person providing crisis support, help-seekers automatically fear this will not be the case if new technology and automation such as AI are introduced. Consequently, incorporating innovative use of technology to improve help-seeker outcomes in such services will require careful messaging and assurance that the human connection will continue

Young people\u27s help-seeking for mental health problems.

This paper summarises an ambitious research agenda aiming to uncover the factors that affect help-seeking among young people for mental health problems. The research set out to consider why young people, and particularly young males, do not seek help when they are in psychological distress or suicidal; how professional services be made more accessible and attractive to young people; the factors that inhibit and facilitate help-seeking; and how community gatekeepers can support young people to access services to help with personal and emotional problems. A range of studies was undertaken in New South Wales, Queensland and the ACT, using both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Data from a total of 2721 young people aged 14-24 years were gathered, as well as information from some of the community gatekeepers to young people’s mental health care. Help-seeking was measured in all the studies using the General Help Seeking Questionnaire (Wilson, Deane, Ciarrochi & Rickwood, 2005), which measures future help-seeking intentions and, through supplementary questions, can also assess prior help-seeking experience. Many of the studies also measured recent help-seeking behaviour using the Actual Help Seeking Questionnaire. The types of mental health problems examined varied across the studies and included depressive symptoms, personal-emotional problems, and suicidal thoughts. The help-seeking process was conceptualised using a framework developed during the research program. This framework maintains that help-seeking is a process of translating the very personal domain of psychological distress to the interpersonal domain of seeking help. Factors that were expected to facilitate or inhibit this translation process were investigated. These included factors that determine awareness of the personal domain of psychological distress and that affect the ability to articulate or express this personal domain to others, as well as willingness to disclose mental health issues to other people. The results are reported in terms of: patterns of help-seeking across adolescence and young adulthood; the relationship of help-seeking intentions to behaviour; barriers to seeking help—lack of emotional competence, the help-negation effect related to suicidal thoughts, negative attitudes and beliefs about helpseeking and fear of stigma; and facilitators of seeking help—emotional competence, positive past experience, mental health literacy, and supportive social influences. The paper considers the implications of the findings for the development of interventions to encourage young people to seek help for their mental health problems, and concludes by identifying gaps in the help-seeking research and literature and suggesting future directions

Adolescent barriers to seeking professional psychololgical help for personal-emotional and suicidal problems

A number of cognitive and affective barriers reduce the likelihood that young people will seek professional psychological help for either personal-emotional or suicidal problems. This paeer describes a study that has examined tbe relationship between helpseeking barriers and intentions in a highschool sample. Six hundred and eight high school students completed a questionnaire measunring help-seeking intetions and barriers to professional mental health source. Barriers related to Iower intentions to seek professional psychological help for suicidal and non-suicidal problems. Findings are discussed in terms of barrier reduction. Strategies for prevention and early intervention are suggested