The “psychological” epidemic

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), over one thousand million people all over the world suffer from mental health disorders today. These ailments are present in people of all ages, income levels and countries. They are, currently, the second cause of prolonged disability, increasing the number of years of healthy life lost and generating many expenses both for healthcare services and for the patients and their families.

As Cristina Sarabia, head of the Psychology Unit at the Clínica Vistahermosa HLA and director of Inicia Sarabia Psicología explains, “when we feel emotional distress, we look for a label to use to explain what is wrong with ourselves. To do this, we use Google and now, artificial intelligence. But, often, this type of identification leads us to a pattern of negative reinforcement by which we end up reaffirming behaviour that is not at all positive.” For Sarabia, self-diagnosis can provide fast relief, until we realise that we still have the same problem that we had before.”
 

Our mental health, in the hands of the Internet

There are several reasons that justify the fact that people who have a concern of an emotional type frequently consult information on the internet. One of the main ones is that, in spite of all the progress made in the spreading of rigorous information, mental health continues to be associated to a stigma that can generate blame or shame in some of those affected.

Likewise, emotional fragility can make us more prone to trying to seek out simple solutions – such as asking AI or following recommendations obtained on videos by influencers or youtubers who talk about these questions – to deal with problems as complex as these can be.

The importance of consulting professionals

In Sarabia’s words, “we must be able to analyse the information that is given to us and stimulate critical thinking in order to be able to filter the quality and reliability of the sources consulted.” For this accredited psychologist, “you shouldn’t be looking for immediacy or simplification in the responses. AI can reinforce what we want to hear. And the same thing can happen with certain people who spread information.”

Of course, there are profiles in this field created by significant professionals, but it is often difficult for citizens to identify them correctly. Therefore, when in doubt, it is better to not let yourself be led by unreliable proposals made by people who do not accredit the necessary training. “Let us think about the danger that occurs due to listening to voices without scientific training on subjects such as food disorders, to give an example,” Sarabia adds.

Obviously, the best option is always to put yourself in the hands of qualified people, who can correctly identify your situation and propose the most suitable therapy. Recently, the WHO has urged governments from all over the world to develop initiatives that give the correct attention to mental health within their healthcare systems. Taking care of this request is, without any doubt, a crucial matter in order to not let psychological simplifications and “express diagnoses” worsen a problem that is becoming increasingly more urgent in developed societies.