I tried speaking to an NHS-approved AI mental health chatbot, here's what it was like

'Surely AI therapy can't be as good as the real thing', I thought when I first heard about it.

But with our health service stretched (and some not feeling comfortable enough to even seek help in the first place), I'm also aware anything trying to help bridge this gap is a positive.

So I decided the NHS-approved 'Wysa' app was worth a try.

I might really appreciate having someone – or something – there at the drop of a hat in moments I might otherwise bottle things up.

It could also be a bit of fun experimenting with 'emotionally intelligent' artificial intelligence, all in the name of journalism of course...

Emotionally intelligent AI chatbots at a glance

🧘Health hack reviewed: Wysa app

⏰ Time of treatment: Up to you!

💸Price: A free version + a premium version costing £79.99 a month for additional weekly human therapist session on the app, unlimited messaging support outside of live sessions and a premium self-care library + other variations of costs and times

✅Pros experienced: Instant communication, tools like meditation, helps shift your mindset, optional human therapist for extra depth

❌Cons experienced: Chatbot didn’t feel personal enough, easy not to see a conversation through, found messaging the human therapist I didn’t know a little strange

📝Rating: 3.5/5

What is an emotionally intelligent AI chatbot?

Wysa AI Coach is an artificial intelligence-based 'emotionally intelligent' service. The 'pocket penguin', or 'my 4am friend' as it's also called, responds to your messages and 'uses evidence-based cognitive-behavioural techniques (CBT), DBT, meditation, breathing, yoga, motivational interviewing and micro-actions to help you build mental resilience skills and feel better'.

You click on 'Talk' and the little penguin asks you how your day is and how you are feeling, with the conversation leading on from there in a private space. It aims to provide a 'first step' of care, working through worries and feelings and hopefully preventing serious illness.

While it can't assist with more serious crises, if this comes up in conversation it will signpost you to professional help and encourage the user to seek it. The SOS feature also has the option to 'create a safety plan', with helplines found there too.

The app holds more than 150+ evidence-based exercises, including resources for anxiety, sleep, handling difficult conversations, and improving productivity (the extent of their availability depends on your account type).

There are costs for a premium version with 'convenient features' and Wysa Emotional Wellbeing Professional Services, coaching with experienced mental health and wellbeing professionals (human!).

Integrated Wysa AI tools can also be used to help NHS Talking Therapies service improve the quality of its care, or to support an institution.

My thoughts

At first, when chatting to the bot, it felt nice to have instant communication, if not a little strange. The responses didn't feel quite personal enough, like it wasn't fully grasping what I was saying – though I knew the AI probably needed to 'get to know' me better.

It did send me a guided meditation suited to the situation I was describing though, which was fairly seamless and actually really helped. Throughout my time chatting to the Wysa penguin, this was one of my favourite features.

Conversations with the chatbot usually involve it asking a few more questions to understand what you're saying better (sometimes offering prompts to choose from to help lead your answers). It is empathetic, and while doesn't try to 'solve' the problem, it encourages you to reframe the way you think or tweak certain behaviours to help.

You can leave the conversation at any time, but of course, the longer you spend on it, the more you'll work on things and improve its capability. While tempting to duck out, which I did a couple of times, it is worth sticking with each conversation.

Craving a little more understanding one day, I decided to try out the human therapist and easily booked my first 30 minute session from one of the time slots.

When the time came, I actually felt more apprehensive about talking to someone I didn't know over messages than the AI chatbot. Perhaps because it was more intimate, and while there's still the digital space between you, I was acutely aware that they'd be taking in my every word more.

In our first chat, the therapist took the lead and explained what the sessions would look like and how they could help. I was getting much bigger chunks of text sent to me – yep definitely a human – and eventually I felt comfortable to share a little, though found it hard to properly convey things. How much do I write? They were very understanding, but I'm not sure they were telling me anything I didn't already know.

When I was more specific with what I was saying, it helped and showed in the responses.

She set me 'homework' and asked how she could improve too, before directing me to another guided meditation related to my situation. The AI then took over and asked how it went and what else I needed.

During the next 'real' therapist session I attended I found myself also juggling something else that had come up last minute. It feels easier to just open your phone and 'attend', whereas for an in person session I would have cancelled. In hindsight, I still should have as I wasn't as engaged, which my therapist picked up on.

A couple weeks later I hadn’t yet booked another session, but got a message from her checking in on how I was, which I didn’t realise they could do. Whoops, had I worried her?

Pros experienced

• Nice to have instant communication when you want to feel listened to

• Chatbot sends you tools to help with how you’re feeling, like guided meditations

• Provides empathy but helps to shift your mindset

• Optional human therapist provides more depth

Cons experienced

• Chatbot responses didn’t feel personal enough (could improve with time)

• Easy not to finish a conversation with the chatbot and leave halfway through

• Found messaging a human therapist I’d not met a little strange

Would I do it again?

Having spoken to the AI intermittently for a couple of months, I would continue speaking to it, as it helped to ease my mind in stressful moments.

However, I'm aware the service could probably only do so much for me unless I used it more consistently (though I struggle to reply to WhatsApps at the best of times).

But having the option to work through my feelings in the moment is far better than not having it.

The premium features and human therapist definitely offered an extra touch. However, I think the free version of the app is enough to help anyone who wants to feel listened to and would hopefully help prevent less serious problems (especially those who regularly use the app) from getting worse.

So while no, I don't think it's 'as good as the real thing', I think it's a pretty nice option to have.

This review is based on personal experience and is not a substitute for professional medical or health advice.

• Read more: Is hypnotherapy the secret to reducing anxiety? Here's my personal experience (Yahoo Life UK, 7-min read)

• Read more: I had my brain scanned whilst meditating, here are the results (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read)