International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction· 2026Q1
“I Just Needed Someone to Listen”: A Community Discussion Analysis of Redditors’ Discourse About Using General-Purpose LLMs for Therapy
- 0citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Redditors are increasingly using general-purpose LLMs for mental health support, with discussions highlighting both reliance and skepticism regarding their therapeutic utility.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- General-purpose LLMs are being adopted for mental health support as an alternative to specialized AI therapy apps.
- Analysis of 67 Reddit discussion threads (2948 comments) explored user reliance on and skepticism towards AI for mental health.
- Community discussions cover various contexts of AI use and present arguments for and against AI in therapy.
- Findings emphasize ethical considerations for AI in mental health and suggest implications for research, design, and regulation.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Despite increasing efforts of legislatures to prohibit specialized AI-driven apps from providing therapeutic decision-making, general-purpose Large Language Models (LLMs) are increasingly being used as alternative tools for mental health support. In this paper, we examine the increased adoption of AI for mental health through the lens of proponents’ and opponents’ discussions on public forums. Through a qualitative analysis of 67 Reddit discussion threads (totaling 2948 comments), we offer an in-depth investigation of the various contexts in which users rely on (or fail to rely on) AI for mental health support, as well as an analysis of the main discussions (including positions for and against the use of AI for therapy) within the community. By critically reflecting on our findings, we highlight ethical considerations and discuss how research, design and regulation of AI tools can help improve mental health support for users with complicated needs while mitigating potential harms.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Applied Psychology
Applied PsychologyPsychology