Case studies

As global mental health challenges escalate amid shortages of professionals and systemic barriers, DeepSeek offers scalable, confidential, and empathetic support, serving as both a digital triage tool and clinical decision aid. This chapter examines DeepSeek’s real-world impact, focusing on its role in addressing mental health challenges, such as rising depression and anxiety among young adults in China, where stigma and resource shortages limit access to care. DeepSeek’s 24/7 availability, empathetic responses, and integration with electronic health records enable it to serve as an effective tool for emotional triage and clinical decision support. Beyond healthcare, DeepSeek’s specialised models (R1, Math, Coder) advance STEM education through stepwise problem-solving and adaptive feedback. However, challenges including model bias, limited explainability, and difficulties in replicating human-like counselling dynamics underscore the need for careful deployment. Through case studies, user narratives, and system workflows, this chapter highlights DeepSeek’s benefits, limitations, and ethical considerations, offering insights to guide responsible AI integration in mental health care and future innovations.