India, Sept. 18 -- justify;">A recent study published in Communications Psychology (a Nature group journal) revealed a surprising twist: Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated responses were often perceived as more compassionate and empathetic than those from human mental health professionals, even when participants knew they were interacting with an AI (Chaudhry et al., 2024). This finding opens new avenues for mental health care, especially in India, where stigma continues to deter many from seeking conventional therapy.

Although awareness about mental health is growing, many individuals in India remain reluctant to seek professional support. A 2021 UNICEF-Gallup survey found that only 41% of Indian adolescents were open to seeking hel...