OneDigital's National Engagement & Wellbeing Practice Senior Consultant, Lucy Roberts, PhD, Featured in CNBC

AI might be the future of employee stress and mental health management.

Companies are increasingly turning to AI-powered tools to address worker stress and mental health issues. A Deloitte survey revealed that half of workers experience anxiety symptoms and over half have depression symptoms.

Senior Consultant for National Engagement & Wellbeing Practice Lucy Roberts, PhD, talks to CNBC about how AI tools such as ChatGPT may actually help employees manage everyday stressors. She explains that employees might feel more comfortable talking about stress with an AI chatbot than an actual HR professional. Lucy suggests that while AI can be an effective tool, companies should make sure to put guardrails in place to ensure ethical and safe usage for their employees.

In the CNBC article, “Here’s how A.I.-backed tools can help with worker stress and mental health,” Lucy Notes that AI tools can provide on-demand resources for employees facing stress.

If I can turn to a chatbot and say, ‘Hey, I’m struggling; I need help,’ and it provides a mindfulness exercise or a reading exercise, it can, in the moment, help lower stress levels. We also know that AI and machine learning can provide you with the best evidence-based practices as long as you’re using an AI tool that is safe and effective.
 
— Lucy Roberts, PhD, OneDigital Senior Consultant, National Engagement & Wellbeing Practice

Read the CNBC article here.

Want to read more from Lucy Roberts? Check out his recent article: 7 Ways to Support Mental Health in the Workplace.