Psychological Mechanisms Influencing Preferences for AI-Based and Human Counselling in India

This research explores the psychological reasons behind people’s preference for AI (artificial intelligence) over human-based counseling in India, focusing on five major areas: stigma, emotional safety, relational trust, accessibility, and privacy concerns. Although AI usage is beginning to be integrated into mental health care, research has not adequately studied the psychological influences affecting individuals’ overall attitudes toward these two modalities, especially since mental health care infrastructures in much of the world are deficient. Researchers conducted a cross-sectional survey of 56 adults currently residing in India who responded to a series of structured questionnaires that consisted of demographic items, multiple-choice questions, and a Likert scale measuring response level. Data were analyzed using non-parametric statistics. Results indicate that participants with interpersonal anxiety and those fearing judgment found AI effective in addressing emotional safety concerns associated with counseling. Additionally, privacy concerns significantly reduced trust in AI and were associated with greater concerns regarding misuse of personal data. Participants also perceived human counselors as more capable than AI when dealing with emotionally complex cases because humans can read non-verbal communications. Participants indicated that both accessibility and affordability were major benefits of AI counseling. Finally, participants viewed AI and human-based counseling as competing systems, not complementary systems. Among the factors examined, stigma showed the strongest statistical association with counselling preference, followed by privacy concerns, accessibility, and emotional safety, though this ranking should be interpreted cautiously, as the underlying statistical tests are not directly comparable (see Discussion). These findings suggest that emotional safety, stigma, and privacy perceptions are central determinants of counselling preferences in India. Efforts to enhance the acceptability of AI in mental health services should emphasize transparency, ethical data handling, and human-centered design.Transparency, ethical data practices, and human-centred design are key focus areas in the development and implementation of AI tools to support mental health.