DOH cautions students: AI not for mental health concerns
The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday cautioned students against seeking the help of artificial intelligence (AI) tools instead of talking to a school guidance counselor, noting that such forms of technology are not yet able to recognize and manage emotions.
In observance of this year’s Mental Health Month, the DOH held interactive workshops at Cavite National High School to raise awareness about the importance of mental health and the need for peer support groups in schools to provide “safe spaces” for students.
‘Not wrong’
When asked how it feels to seek the help of a school guidance counselor, a student shared, “I’m afraid. When I go to the guidance counselor, it feels like I did something wrong.”
Tina Marasigan, health promotion bureau director at the DOH, acknowledged that some students may feel uncomfortable reaching out to someone older than them, but she assured them that “it’s not wrong to go to a guidance counselor.”
“Your guidance counselors are there. They will help, but your emotions and reservations are valid,” she stressed.
Their own classmates can also be of help, Marasigan pointed out.
“We want to strengthen your capacity to become peer support to your fellow youth, because it’s very effective,” she said.
“We want to have a safe space where you can talk about your problems, that you’re not okay … but someone will listen to you without judgment, and that’s the first step in preserving mental health,” she added.
‘It cannot feel’
At the event, DOH spokesperson Albert Domingo said students should be careful about seeking help from AI tools instead of another person regarding their mental health.
“We are not saying it’s wrong, but this is one of the challenges that we have to overcome,” Domingo said. “AI is a machine, it cannot read your face, it cannot feel.”
“The technology is not yet there, probably not in our lifetime, where it can recognize and respond through conversation. So, there would always be a role for our guidance counselors, our school counselor associates, and your peers,” he added.
More counselors soon
According to Domingo, the Department of Education is set to hire around 10,000 school counselor associates “very soon” to address the lack of guidance counselors in schools.
For Cavite National High School, Domingo noted that only four guidance counselors handle 7,500 students. One is assigned to 2,500 senior high school students, while the other three are in charge of 5,000 junior high students.
“Before, we had a hard time finding guidance counselors because there were only a few [of them]. Now, around 10,000 of what we call school counselor associates will be hired, not as job order or contract of service [staff], but as ‘plantilla’ items,” he said.
“Most likely, they will be the ones training [and] forming the peer support groups,” Domingo added.
