内容摘要：On Saturday, crowds of civilians rushed aid trucks into Gaza, the World Food Programme said, as hunger and desperation created chaotic scenes.

On Saturday, crowds of civilians rushed aid trucks into Gaza, the World Food Programme said, as hunger and desperation created chaotic scenes.

The app allows patients to self-refer for mental health support, and offers tools and coping strategies such as a chat function, breathing exercises and guided meditation while they wait to be seen by a human therapist, and can also be used as a standalone self-help tool.Wysa stresses that its service is designed for people experiencing low mood, stress or anxiety rather than abuse and severe mental health conditions. It has in-built crisis and escalation pathways whereby users are signposted to helplines or can send for help directly if they show signs of self-harm or suicidal ideation.

For people with suicidal thoughts, human support on the free Samaritans helpline is available 24/7.Nicholas also experiences sleep deprivation, so finds it helpful if support is available at times when friends and family are asleep."There was one time in the night when I was feeling really down. I messaged the app and said 'I don't know if I want to be here anymore.' It came back saying 'Nick, you are valued. People love you'.

"It was so empathetic, it gave a response that you'd think was from a human that you've known for years […] And it did make me feel valued."His experiences chime with a recent study by Dartmouth College researchers looking at the impact of chatbots on people diagnosed with anxiety, depression or an eating disorder, versus a control group with the same conditions.

After four weeks, bot users showed significant reductions in their symptoms – including a 51% reduction in depressive symptoms - and reported a level of trust and collaboration akin to a human therapist.

Despite this, the study's senior author commented there is no replacement for in-person care.The couple, who live in Formby, retired from their civil service careers 10 years ago and do not have children, so instead they have used some of their disposable income on travelling and music.

Mr Beard says he "wouldn't like to have a guess" at how much they have spent, adding: "It'd probably be frightening… to some people it'll be incomprehensible."But the concerts became a comfort after he suffered symptoms due to a form of blood cancer called multiple myeloma, which Springsteen's wife and bandmate Patti Scialfa was also

Following chemotherapy treatment, a nurse recommended the couple to travel and coincidentally Springsteen soon announced some gigs after the lockdowns of the coronavirus pandemic.They booked a trip to see him in the US, which Mr Beard, who is in remission, said was "such a fantastic thing to do and really helped us mentally".