How Wysa Uses AI to Make Mental Health Services More Accessible to Everyone

There is a great speech in my favorite TV show Arrow something I think about a lot as someone who struggles to maintain mental health throughout my life. In addition to providing people who spoil the plan, the saying says “life is not for the weak.” I think about it a lot because it’s an apt description for life: life is hard and it takes a strong, determined person to face any adversity they encounter. As I wrote recently about cancer, mental health problems can be as disabling and debilitating as any physical or mental condition.

The Wysa team understands the last point. On its website, the company boasts that it offers “healthy mental health that’s accessible to everyone, anytime.” Wysa has a platform, powered by artificial intelligence, that “provides personalized care that is always accessible, helping individuals, organizations, health care providers and young people to succeed.” The company sells its services to individuals through its mobile app, as well as employers and health insurers. Of course, if poor mental health can get in the way—and it really can, trust me—then the options Wysa offers for treatment are readily available.

In an interview with me earlier this year, Smriti Joshi, a psychologist by training and director of clinical operations at Wysa, described Wysa’s history as a script-based platform with chatbots that interact with users. trained and organized who act as their own lay doctor. . Joshi, who has been with Wysa for 8 years, told me that while there are audio/visual therapies available these days, when the team was building the platform 5 years ago, It was clear that texting was a “spiritual” form of caregiving. He said people love texting, and it’s “an effective way to connect with customers.”

Wysa started life writing only on its own platform, and Joshi told me it “went really well” and the company quickly amassed 50,000 users before quickly hitting a million. However, as fun and efficient as text messaging is, Joshi said, as Wysa grew, the team ultimately decided it was a better strategy to move to a hybrid model. the text component is complemented by the amount of FaceTimes or Zoom calls between the therapist and the client. From the doctor’s point of view, relying on technology-especially sending text messages-makes professionals not wait until the next session to follow care with their clients.

When asked who exactly Wysa is, Joshi gave me a version of the website—Wysa is for anyone who “needs mental health coaching or therapy,” he said. The app is available on iOS and Android, and Joshi said Wysa is being deeply integrated into major systems as a primary focus. The private sector can also use it, but in terms of public health systems, Joshi said the National Health Service in the United Kingdom will use Wysa as the first public system. Joshi called Wysa now the best “[health] systems with large clinical teams where they have many patients they serve and want to know how these patients are doing. ” He added that tracking can be done in real time, especially important because AI software can help experts to warn of changes in mood-including the most severe ones such as suicidal thoughts. Joshi added that, clinically, Wysa is “very good” for large practices and public health services.

What’s notable about Wysa from an accessibility perspective is that it’s not just treating mental health, it’s using technology to help it. In other words, everything is done remotely, meaning, for example, treatment can be easily accessed by someone who has just returned home for medical reasons; it is also useful for a person who may face difficulties in keeping up with transport. The same can be argued on the clinical side, but it is more painful for people seeking care. In addition, Joshi said users can take health tests on the app. This process reminds us of what Apple offers in its Health app on iOS and iPadOS, since users can return the aforementioned questions to their provider once they select the Health Records section. Filling out these forms digitally is much easier than doing it manually while at the doctor’s office.

My interview with Joshi coincides with the announcement of Wysa Copilot, the hybrid platform for digital and in-person therapy that Joshi promised in our interview. In a press release, he said part of the goal with Copilot is to “empower physicians with the tools they need to deliver personalized, effective care while improving the overall patient experience” and we are a combination of AI and human supervision that works best in “[enhance] both patient relationships and treatment outcomes. ”

In terms of feedback, Wysa shares many stories from patients on its website, all of which praise Wysa’s success. At Joshi, he told me that health care providers have reported being “very happy” with the company’s product, saying the most popular feature is the ability to meet outside of regular appointment hours. As Wysa is available 24/7, there is a constant connection for people who feel they need more support or just want to connect with their doctor, and vice versa. Finally, the platform promotes a “collaborative and transparent therapeutic relationship.” Joshi admitted that while there is deep appreciation for Wysa, there are also doubts; She said once people try it, they tend to like it and can see how it “strengthens and complements the work they do, and how they feel their patients are better supported.”

Looking to the future, Joshi says people are hesitant to understand AI and its power, but emphasizes Wysa is not a fully autonomous service. There is indeed human supervision on the platform, whose duties include ensuring anonymity and privacy. As AI continues to work, Joshi hopes it will make Wysa a better tool for improving mental health. It’s early days for AI, but the signs are encouraging for Wysa in its plan. “I hope that this service, or similar products on the market, will increase efficiency and effectiveness. [and] accessible to many different users,” said Joshi.