Presentations 2.4 - Digitalisation of Counselling Services
Digital Student Services
EN/DE
Lea Hildermeier, Project Manager, Forum on Digitalisation in Higher Education (HFD) and Centre for Higher Education Development (CHE)
Well-Being and Mental Health in a Digital Era
This input focuses on the changing mental health situation of students and the role digitalisation plays in this development. It addresses both negative effects, including technostress, information overload, loneliness and risks such as digital violence, and positive potentials, such as low-threshold access to counselling, mental health apps and AI-supported tools.
Based on current studies and practical examples from higher education, the session will explore how support can be digitalised in a responsible, accessible and student-centred way. It will also reflect on how wellbeing and mental health can be more structurally embedded in the digital transformation of higher education.
Dr Christian Dirk Wiesner, Head of the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, University of Kiel
AI Chatbots, Counselling and Therapy: Helpful First Aid or Risky Substitute?
Students are already using AI chatbots for far more than homework. They ask them for study advice, emotional support, relationship guidance, mental health tips and, in some cases, companionship. For student services, this raises an urgent question: Are AI chatbots helpful first responders, harmless digital assistants, or a new source of psychological risk?
This talk offers a lively, evidence-informed tour through the fast-moving world of AI chatbots in counselling and mental health. We will distinguish between regulated digital health applications, mental health chatbots, general-purpose systems such as ChatGPT, and companion bots designed to simulate friendship, intimacy and emotional attachment. Using recent studies, real-world cases and short interactive exercises, the session will explore where chatbots can support students, where they fail, and where human counsellors remain irreplaceable.
The central argument is simple: The more personal, emotional and relational a chatbot becomes, the higher the need for evidence, safeguards and human responsibility. AI may help with psychoeducation, self-reflection, preparation for counselling and low-threshold access. But it can also hallucinate, flatter, overstep, miss crises, blur boundaries and create powerful illusions of understanding.
Participants will gain a clearer understanding of the key opportunities and risks of AI chatbots in student counselling and mental health. The session aims to support them in asking the right questions and making informed decisions for their own institutional contexts.