The increasing use of generative AI in mental health raises concerns about “prevalence inflation,” where people may self-diagnose with mental health issues they don’t actually have, leading to a false perception of widespread mental health problems. This phenomenon may be exacerbated by the rise of AI companionship, where individuals form emotional bonds with AI systems that provide sympathy and support, potentially leading to a reliance on these systems for emotional validation and a distorted view of their own mental health. As a result, people may be more likely to misdiagnose themselves or seek out unnecessary treatment, perpetuating a cycle of over-pathologization and iatrogenic effects, which can have negative consequences for both individuals and society as a whole.

by Llama 3 70B