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LGBTQ+

AI Therapy, A Truly Impartial Companion?

(PS6-6) AI Therapy, a Truly Impartial Companion?

Saturday, November 22, 2025
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM CST
Location: Elite Hall A, Level 1
Abstract Text: Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual (LGB) individuals experience higher rates of mental health disorders than their heterosexual counterparts (Cochran et al., 2003; King et al., 2008; Källström et al., 2022; Przedworski et al., 2015). The minority stress model posits that stigma, prejudice, and discrimination contribute to hypervigilance and negativity bias in social interactions (Meyer, 2003; Meyer, 2023), making culturally competent, identity-affirming therapy particularly important. However, barriers such as provider shortages, implicit biases, and accessibility concerns continue to limit affirming care.  

 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an emerging tool in mental health care (Rollwage et al., 2024; Habicht et al., 2024; Rollwage et al., 2023) with the potential to supplement therapy, particularly for marginalized populations. This study examines whether AI-generated therapeutic responses are perceived as comparable to those written by human therapists and whether LGB individuals evaluate therapist responses differently than heterosexual individuals. Participants reviewed a relationship therapy scenario and rated two therapist responses—one written by an expert and one generated by a trained AI program—on core dimensions of therapist effectiveness (Wampold, 2015): therapeutic alliance, empathy, expectations, cultural competence, and therapist effects.  

 

A 2×2 ANOVA will be run soon (as we gained our data in its entirety this week). These findings would suggest that AI does or does not inherently diminish the perceived quality of therapy for LGB individuals, making it a promising or concerning tool to bridge existing gaps in culturally competent mental health care. By demonstrating comparable effectiveness, AI-assisted interventions may increase access to identity-affirming, evidence-based therapy, aligning with the conference theme of Bridging the Divide: Promoting Rigorous Science and Inclusive Affirming Therapies.