Can AI solve the mental health crisis?

As artificial intelligence infiltrates itself into how we work, why shouldn't it also become a part of how we care for ourselves, too? 

Employers have embraced technology as a way to support well-being and address the mental health needs of a struggling workforce. Seventy-two percent of employers offer virtual behavioral healthcare and telehealth options to address mental health, and 68% offer app-based mental health support as part of their employee benefits package, according to a survey from business consultancy Mercer. 

Yet despite these resources, mental health within the workforce has continued to decline: 65% of employees said they struggled with burnout in 2023, according to a report from HR management platform isolved. More serious mental health conditions like depression and anxiety disorders are also on the rise: According to data from Lyra Health, 87% of employees faced at least one mental health challenge in the last year, and two-thirds experienced mental health stress that negatively impacted their work. 

Read more: For an easier open enrollment, introduce AI and ChatGPT

It's clear something needs to change, says Brent Franson, CEO and founder of Most Days, an AI-powered mental health app. Using technology to improve mental health isn't a new idea, but it can be done in tandem with traditional healthcare for better outcomes. 

"We've had this one-size-fits-all access to therapy and have thought that therapy is the silver bullet. It is an important tool, but it's one of many," Franson says. "We need to make sure that we've got options that are helpful for people when therapy isn't the best answer. That's where generative AI and some other technologies can be really interesting and helpful." 

Building better habits

Most Days focuses on helping users establish healthy habits and routines, and Franson sees it as a companion to other mental health resources and self-care practices. Instead of addressing mental health when someone is in crisis, the hope is to help people build resilience and other skills that improve their mental well-being long-term. 

"Our healthcare system tries to fix us up and send us back into the world, but it's not very good at preventing the issue in the first place, or helping us do the work we need to do between visits to improve the quality of the outcome," he says. "Most Days is a companion to help you make the behavioral changes that are going to support your mental and physical health every day." 

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Most Days takes users through an eight-minute onboarding survey, where they choose from a variety of categories where they need support, be it with anxiety, depression or other psychiatric needs, to nutrition or other physical challenges they'd like to address. Once that specific need is identified, a user is directed to a set of habits, and the AI sends prompts and reminders each day to support them with their progress. 

Check out EBN's full special report on the Tech Revolution to see how top employers are incorporating AI and other tech tools into open enrollment, recruiting, benefit strategies and more:

• For an easier open enrollment, introduce AI and ChatGPT
• Employees are taking their burning work questions to ChatGPT
• How AI frees up recruiters to focus on people first
• AI is closing the generation gap in the workplace

"If you're working on [improving] depression, we want to understand the severity of the depression, and we're then going to recommend a set of habits that were written by a clinician," Franson says. "If you're being treated for depression by a psychologist, they're going to have a set of behavior changes that they're recommending. That's built into Most Days and you can customize them so you can complete the ones that fit you." 

Gamifying mental health

AI allows the platform to continuously tailor the program depending on how a user is engaging with the routine they're given. They have access to a mood log where they track their progress, along with options to add an accountability partner. 

"It's a guided game and a fun experience to give you some structure around making really important changes that we all want to make," Franson says. "About 80% of our members improve, and in many cases, the improvement is as good or better than therapy." 

Read more: How AI frees up recruiters to focus on people first

Franson acknowledges that therapy and more traditional modes of care do have a place when treating mental health disorders, and 25% of Most Days' users also take medication for their mental health condition. The AI has also been trained to spot warning signs of suicidality and direct those users to a crisis line or more intensive support. AI should not be a replacement for care when needed, Franson says.

"If you're interacting with the AI around some physical health complexity, or a really complex issue, it will tell you, 'Here's my perspective, but you should really speak to somebody about this,'" Franson says. "We're sensitive to that and it's going to push you to go see a healthcare provider." 

Using AI is a way to "democratize" mental health care, Franson says, so treatment isn't just for those with the most acute needs or those with the right access to resources. It's also an affordable way to make marked improvements, something that benefits everyone. 

"Best case scenario, you're seeing a therapist for an hour a week, and you've got all the other hours in the day and then the week where it's up to you," Franson says. "We've got to be really actively engaged in doing the right things most days so you can successfully achieve that change."