Tech vs. Tradition: ChatGPT and Mindfulness in Enhancing Older Adults’ Emotional Health
Open accessAbstract
To improve older adults’ mental health, this study compared the effects of AI chatbots, such as ChatGPT 3.0, with traditional mindfulness therapies on loneliness and depression in older adults. Despite interest in AI as a complementary tool, empirical evidence on its impact remains limited. For an eight-week intervention, older adult participants from two nursing homes in Hangzhou were assigned to groups focused on mindfulness (group sessions) and chatting (one-on-one ChatGPT). Following the intervention, participants engaged in a researcher-led focus group discussion. After 8 weeks, tension had decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in the Mindfulness group of older adults, and there was no significant difference between the effects of ChatGPT and mindfulness on the emotional intervention of older adults. Findings indicated three themes, including (1) personal experience, reflecting older adults’ use of AI technology and mindfulness; (2) attitudes and perspectives on the experiment’s desirability and insufficiencies; and (3) needs and expectations for future AI and mindfulness developments, including usability and functional preferences. Similar to mindfulness practice, ChatGPT interactions helped older adults feel less depressed and might eventually reduce costs by replacing mindfulness. In the future, AI can be integrated with conventional techniques to improve interaction by giving AI a more human-like appearance.
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The remainder used quasi-experimental (n=5), mixed-methods (n=3), survey (n=2), and observational design (n=1).
“while the remainder used quasi-experimental (n=5), mixed-methods (n=3), survey (n=2) [26], and observational design (n=1) [23].”
From Generative AI Mental Health Chatbots as Therapeutic Tools: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Their Role in Reducing Mental Health Issues (2025) · cites this paper as [26]
The citation [23] is attached to the claim that one study used an observational design. Section 2.1, “Study Design,” instead describes a controlled eight-week experiment with participants assigned to ChatGPT or mindfulness interventions and measured before and after. The cited paper therefore does not fit the observational-design category attributed to it. (LLM, conf=0.88)
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Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredCompanion chatbots such as Replika have been found to reduce loneliness and produce outcomes comparable to mindfulness interventions among older adults.
“Beyond structured therapy, companion chatbots such as Replika have been found to reduce loneliness [25] and produce outcomes comparable to mindfulness interventions among older adults [26].”
From Generative AI Mental Health Chatbots as Therapeutic Tools: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Their Role in Reducing Mental Health Issues (2025) · cites this paper as [26]
The studies' sample size ranged from 12 to 1006 (mean 198.85, SD 210.68).
“The studies’ sample size ranges all the way from 12 [26] to 1006 [31] (mean 198.85, SD 210.68).”
From Generative AI Mental Health Chatbots as Therapeutic Tools: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Their Role in Reducing Mental Health Issues (2025) · cites this paper as [26]
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- Authors
- Wang, Y., & Li, S.
- Affiliations
- Zhejiang Sci-Tech University (CN)
- Corresponding author
- Wang, Ying
- ORCID
- Venue
- Behavioral Sciences
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Published
- 2024-10-10
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 923
- ISSN
- 2076-328X (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC11505557
- OpenAlex
- W4403302594
- Cited by
- 27
- References
- 37
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 1
- FWCI
- 10.71
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Behavioral Sciences (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Fundamental Research Funds of Zhejiang Sci-Tech University (24086111-Y, 2014E1004)
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Lab for Healthy and Smart Kitchen System (24086111-Y, 2014E1004)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
- Social Sciences › Demography › Technology Use by Older Adults
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Social Robot Interaction and HRI
- Keywords
- ChatGPT, AI chatbots, mindfulness therapy, older adults, loneliness, depression, emotional well-being, nursing home residents, technology acceptance, human-AI interaction, mental health interventions
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