Evaluating ChatGPT-generated psychoeducation for mood disorders: comparative insights from patients and mental health professionals

Introduction: Psychoeducation is a key intervention in mood disorders. With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) conversational agents, tools like ChatGPT are increasingly consulted by patients. Yet, empirical data on how AIgenerated psychoeducational content is perceived by patients and professionals remain limited. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 30 depressed inpatients submitted five open-ended questions to ChatGPT-4o. Responses were rated by patients using 5-point Likert scales for relevance, comprehensibility, usefulness, empathy, and acceptance. Independent safety checks were applied to all outputs. The same responses were later blindly evaluated, in randomized order, by three psychiatrists and three psychiatric rehabilitation technicians (PRTs). Results: All outputs passed safety review. Patients assigned higher total scores (mean ± SD = 22.43 ± 2.64) than PRTs (17.63 ± 3.39) and psychiatrists (15.42 ± 2.02). The largest gaps involved empathy and acceptance, whereas relevance, usefulness, and comprehensibility differed less. PRT ratings were intermediate: closer to patients on relevance, comprehensibility, and usefulness, but closer to psychiatrists on empathy and acceptance. Within patients, no associations emerged with age, education, depression severity, or prior psychoeducation. Conclusions: Patients with mood disorders perceived ChatGPT-generated responses as more relevant, comprehensible, useful, accepting, and empathetic than health professionals did. With conversational agents entering psychoeducation, clinicians must develop strategies to critically integrate such tools, ensuring safety and quality while guiding patient use. The challenge is not resisting AI adoption, but framing it within safe, effective, and ethically sound psychoeducational care.