#mental-health-access

#mental-health-access

Each year Americans make an estimated 500 million visits to primary care doctors. In fact, the CDC found just over 85% of Americans had a visit with a doctor or health professional in the past year. Whether for annual checkups, illnesses, ailments, or other physical concerns, these visits are relatively routine and somewhat expected. Contrast that with the American Medical Association's finding that less than half of the 43 million adults identified with a mental illness receive treatment.

Have you ever googled a health question that you'd normally ask a doctor or therapist? Today, more information is available than ever. People can privately access guidance through AI chatbots that feels like talking to a real provider. With mental health care still difficult to access for many, it's understandable that many turn to free, anonymous, on-demand chatbots for support. While AI tools can be trained to simulate therapy, relying solely on them leaves significant gaps in mental health care.