AI Chatbot’s Impact on Mental Well-Being and Its Potential Psychotherapy Effect: A Systematic Review

With the advancement of AI chatbots and increasing life pressure, AI chatbots, due to their diverse functions and accessibility, may serve as a viable option for promoting mental well-being. However, their actual impact and effectiveness on improving mental well-being still need further exploration. This paper examines the current psychological benefits of AI chatbots and the potential assistance their specific function offers to particular parts of mental well-being, based on relevant research published since 2020. The findings indicate that interacting with AI chatbots can moderately reduce psychological distress and enhance mental health levels. The interaction is more effective with more natural, human-like generative chatbot models; the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (rDLPFC) and bilateral ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) can regulate emotional regulation capabilities, which are crucial components of mental well-being, and by enhancing prefrontal cortex function through specific stimulation or employing emotional regulation strategies, individuals’ emotions will be more positive; the neural mechanisms above represents the potential of integrating AI chatbot functions (role playing specifically) with existing psychotherapy methods. This paper offers new insights into the auxiliary role of AI within psychological treatment systems and its potential to promote individual mental well-being.