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Therapy bots are complete snake oil. Dr. Soumitra Pathare — psychiatrist and Director of the Centre for Mental Health Law and Policy — doesn’t hold back in this thought-provoking episode of Say Again with Amrita Tripathi. He warns that most of these bots haven't undergone safety trials and aren’t backed by evidence, raising some serious questions. And by the way, you might prefer to go for coffee with a friend than venting to your LLM as a 'therapist'.

In this candid conversation, Dr. Pathare, co-author of the book Life Interrupted, unpacks why mental health tech needs the same rigorous regulation as any other form of healthcare. He also spotlights a powerful example of frugal innovation: the Atmiyata project, a community-led mental health initiative that started in Gujarat and is now being replicated all the way in London.

From breaking down myths to taking on tech-bro hype, this episode is equal parts insightful and entertaining. Do let us know your thoughts

(Trigger warning: Suicide is mentioned at 24:48-26:10)

Resources:

Helplines: http://healthcollective.in/contact/helplines/

Centre for Mental Health Law and Policy: http://cmhlp.org/

Netshrink on X: https://x.com/netshrink

The book: Life, Interrupted: https://www.amazon.in/Life-Interrupted-Understanding-Indias-Suicide-ebook/dp/B09G3L68M5