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An AI chatbot for talking therapy referrals

An AI-enabled chatbot increased self-referrals to psychological therapies for common mental health disorders; but further research is needed to ensure that better access translates into high-quality treatment experiences and outcomes for everyone.

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Correspondence to Jacqueline Sin.

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Sin, J. An AI chatbot for talking therapy referrals. Nat Med 30, 350–351 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02773-y

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