A newly selected interdisciplinary team at the University of Iowa is launching a research collaboration to better understand how social isolation and disrupted sleep patterns contribute to reliance on AI chatbots—and how these interactions may pose risks to mental health. The project is supported by the Research Convergence Residency Program at the Center for Social Science Innovation (CSSI).

Led by Sang Jung Kim, assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, the team includes:

• Haelim Jeong, assistant professor in the School of Social Work
• Chooza Moon, associate professor in the College of Nursing
• Rachel Young, associate professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Their project, Social Isolation, Circadian Rhythms, and Reliance on AI Chatbots: A Convergent Study of Emerging Risks to Mental and Physical Health, will examine how loneliness and sleep disruption influence the use of AI chatbots like ChatGPT, particularly during late-night hours when emotional distress may be heightened. The team will analyze Reddit discussions and conduct a CSSI-supported national survey to explore how these factors intersect with expressions of suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

“We’re seeing people turn to AI chatbots during moments of deep vulnerability—often in the middle of the night, when isolation and distress peak,” says Kim. “Our goal is to understand these patterns and help inform the design of safer, more responsible AI-mediated mental health support systems.”

The research team was formed in part through the Social Determinants of Mental and Physical Health Micro Lab, hosted in September by CSSI in collaboration with the Research Development Office. The Micro Lab’s facilitated sessions helped identify shared interests across disciplines, ultimately leading to the convergence proposal selected for residency.

“Meaningful advances in understanding mental health in the digital era require interdisciplinary science,” says Mark Berg, director of CSSI. “This project illustrates the value of investments that bring researchers from different colleges and departments together to study a complex problem.”

As part of the residency, the team will receive dedicated time, space, and support to integrate methods across disciplines, develop shared frameworks, and draft a research manuscript for submission to a peer-reviewed journal. They also will participate in team science training led by Amy Colbert, professor in the Tippie College of Business, intended to provide the team with best practices for convergent research and collaboration.

Learn more about CSSI’s Research Convergence Residency Program. 

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