This paper is in the following e-collection/theme issue:

Theme Issue 2022: Chatbots and COVID-19 (42) JMIR Theme Issue: COVID-19 Special Issue (2554) Depression and Mood Disorders; Suicide Prevention (1691) Digital Mental Health Interventions, e-Mental Health and Cyberpsychology (2111) Chatbots and Conversational Agents (740)

Published on in Vol 24, No 11 (2022): November

Preprints (earlier versions) of this paper are available at https://preprints.jmir.org/preprint/40719, first published .
Mental Health Chatbot for Young Adults With Depressive Symptoms During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Single-Blind, Three-Arm Randomized Controlled Trial

Mental Health Chatbot for Young Adults With Depressive Symptoms During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Single-Blind, Three-Arm Randomized Controlled Trial

Mental Health Chatbot for Young Adults With Depressive Symptoms During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Single-Blind, Three-Arm Randomized Controlled Trial

Authors of this article:

Yuhao He1, 2 Author Orcid Image ;   Li Yang1, 2 Author Orcid Image ;   Xiaokun Zhu3 Author Orcid Image ;   Bin Wu4 Author Orcid Image ;   Shuo Zhang4 Author Orcid Image ;   Chunlian Qian1, 2 Author Orcid Image ;   Tian Tian5 Author Orcid Image
Article Authors Cited by (99) Tweetations (8) Metrics

Journals

  1. Schneider S, Gasteiger C, Wecker H, Höbenreich J, Biedermann T, Brockow K, Zink A. Successful usage of a chatbot to standardize and automate history taking in Hymenoptera venom allergy. Allergy 2023;78(9):2526 View
  2. He Y, Yang L, Qian C, Li T, Su Z, Zhang Q, Hou X. Conversational Agent Interventions for Mental Health Problems: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Journal of Medical Internet Research 2023;25:e43862 View
  3. Li S, Xi Z, Barnett P, Saunders R, Shafran R, Pilling S. Efficacy of culturally adapted interventions for common mental disorders in people of Chinese descent: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet Psychiatry 2023;10(6):426 View
  4. Grodniewicz J, Hohol M. Waiting for a digital therapist: three challenges on the path to psychotherapy delivered by artificial intelligence. Frontiers in Psychiatry 2023;14 View
  5. Lopes E, Jain G, Carlbring P, Pareek S. Talking Mental Health: a Battle of Wits Between Humans and AI. Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science 2023;9(4):628 View
  6. Sarbay İ, Berikol G, Özturan İ. Performance of emergency triage prediction of an open access natural language processing based chatbot application (ChatGPT). Turkish Journal of Emergency Medicine 2023;23(3):156 View
  7. Escobar-Viera C, Porta G, Coulter R, Martina J, Goldbach J, Rollman B. A chatbot-delivered intervention for optimizing social media use and reducing perceived isolation among rural-living LGBTQ+ youth: Development, acceptability, usability, satisfaction, and utility. Internet Interventions 2023;34:100668 View
  8. Allan D. A mobile messaging-based conversational agent-led stress mindset intervention for New Zealand small-to-medium-sized enterprise owner-managers: effectiveness and acceptability study. Behaviour & Information Technology 2024;43(12):2785 View
  9. Tang J, Song T, Kuang M, Feng Y, Liu G, Liu H. Recent Advancements on Long COVID in China: A Narrative Review. International Journal of General Medicine 2023;Volume 16:2585 View
  10. Kulke J, Nacke B, Jacobi C. Fostering resilience during the COVID‐19 pandemic via a digital mental health intervention—A pilot study. Mental Health Science 2023;1(3):147 View
  11. Chin H, Song H, Baek G, Shin M, Jung C, Cha M, Choi J, Cha C. The Potential of Chatbots for Emotional Support and Promoting Mental Well-Being in Different Cultures: Mixed Methods Study. Journal of Medical Internet Research 2023;25:e51712 View
  12. Xu Y, Yang H, Jin Z, Xiang J, Xu H, Pokay Y, Mao H, Cai X, Wu Y, Wang D. Application of a Digital Mental Health Clinic in Secondary Schools: Functionality and Effectiveness Evaluation. JMIR Formative Research 2023;7:e46494 View
  13. Eltahawy L, Essig T, Myszkowski N, Trub L. Can robots do therapy?: Examining the efficacy of a CBT bot in comparison with other behavioral intervention technologies in alleviating mental health symptoms. Computers in Human Behavior: Artificial Humans 2024;2(1):100035 View
  14. Li H, Zhang R, Lee Y, Kraut R, Mohr D. Systematic review and meta-analysis of AI-based conversational agents for promoting mental health and well-being. npj Digital Medicine 2023;6(1) View
  15. Fischer-Grote L, Fössing V, Aigner M, Fehrmann E, Boeckle M. Effectiveness of Online and Remote Interventions for Mental Health in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults After the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JMIR Mental Health 2024;11:e46637 View
  16. Herbener A, Klincewicz M, Damholdt M. A narrative review of the active ingredients in psychotherapy delivered by conversational agents. Computers in Human Behavior Reports 2024;14:100401 View
  17. Balan R, Dobrean A, Poetar C. Use of automated conversational agents in improving young population mental health: a scoping review. npj Digital Medicine 2024;7(1) View
  18. Arnold V, Purnat T, Marten R, Pattison A, Gouda H. Chatbots and COVID-19: Taking Stock of the Lessons Learned. Journal of Medical Internet Research 2024;26:e54840 View
  19. Grodniewicz J, Hohol M. Therapeutic Chatbots as Cognitive-Affective Artifacts. Topoi 2024;43(3):795 View
  20. Laymouna M, Ma Y, Lessard D, Schuster T, Engler K, Lebouché B. Roles, Users, Benefits, and Limitations of Chatbots in Health Care: Rapid Review. Journal of Medical Internet Research 2024;26:e56930 View
  21. Zhong W, Luo J, Zhang H. The therapeutic effectiveness of artificial intelligence-based chatbots in alleviation of depressive and anxiety symptoms in short-course treatments: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders 2024;356:459 View
  22. Zhu L, Wang Y, Li J, Zhou H, Li N, Wang Y. Depressive symptoms and all-cause mortality among middle-aged and older people in China and associations with chronic diseases. Frontiers in Public Health 2024;12 View
  23. Gallegos C, Kausler R, Alderden J, Davis M, Wang L. Can Artificial Intelligence Chatbots Improve Mental Health?. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing 2024;42(10):731 View
  24. Villarreal-Zegarra D, Reategui-Rivera C, García-Serna J, Quispe-Callo G, Lázaro-Cruz G, Centeno-Terrazas G, Galvez-Arevalo R, Escobar-Agreda S, Dominguez-Rodriguez A, Finkelstein J. Self-Administered Interventions Based on Natural Language Processing Models for Reducing Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JMIR Mental Health 2024;11:e59560 View
  25. Limpanopparat S, Gibson E, Harris D. User engagement, attitudes, and the effectiveness of chatbots as a mental health intervention: A systematic review. Computers in Human Behavior: Artificial Humans 2024;2(2):100081 View
  26. Casu M, Triscari S, Battiato S, Guarnera L, Caponnetto P. AI Chatbots for Mental Health: A Scoping Review of Effectiveness, Feasibility, and Applications. Applied Sciences 2024;14(13):5889 View
  27. On Y, Kim T, Kim N. Psychotherapy Based on the Large Language Models: On the Aspect of the Theory of Mind, a Narrative Review. Journal of Korean Neuropsychiatric Association 2024;63(3):151 View
  28. Chiu Y, Lee Y, Lin H, Cheng L. Exploring the Role of Mobile Apps for Insomnia in Depression: Systematic Review. Journal of Medical Internet Research 2024;26:e51110 View
  29. Indah Permatasari R, Parama Artha D, Satria Wiratama B, Wulandari H, Sato H, El Wahed A, Frutos R, Wibawa T, Prabandari R, Hasanbasri M, Ramadona A, Rauf A, Wiratama B, Maula A. Overview of chatbot usage on mental health: A scoping review. BIO Web of Conferences 2024;132:05002 View
  30. Uetova E, Hederman L, Ross R, O’Sullivan D. Exploring the characteristics of conversational agents in chronic disease management interventions: A scoping review. DIGITAL HEALTH 2024;10 View
  31. Rządeczka M, Sterna A, Stolińska J, Kaczyńska P, Moskalewicz M. The Efficacy of Conversational AI in Rectifying the Theory-of-Mind and Autonomy Biases: Comparative Analysis. JMIR Mental Health 2025;12:e64396 View
  32. Chin H, Zhunis A, Cha M. Behaviors and Perceptions of Human-Chatbot Interactions Based on Top Active Users of a Commercial Social Chatbot. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction 2024;8(CSCW2):1 View
  33. Denecke K, Gabarron E. The ethical aspects of integrating sentiment and emotion analysis in chatbots for depression intervention. Frontiers in Psychiatry 2024;15 View
  34. Desage C, Bunge B, Bunge E. A Revised Framework for Evaluating the Quality of Mental Health Artificial Intelligence-Based Chatbots. Procedia Computer Science 2024;248:3 View
  35. Yan X, Wang X, Chen Y, Xu X, Peng L, Xu Y. Feasibility and effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for improving resilience, posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and posttraumatic growth among military medical college students. Acta Psychologica 2024;251:104556 View
  36. Linardon J, Fuller-Tyszkiewicz M, Firth J, Goldberg S, Anderson C, McClure Z, Torous J. Systematic review and meta-analysis of adverse events in clinical trials of mental health apps. npj Digital Medicine 2024;7(1) View
  37. Li Y, Chung T, Lu W, Li M, Ho Y, He M, Mei X, Chen D, Bressington D. Chatbot-Based Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program for University Students With Depressive Symptoms: Intervention Development and Pilot Evaluation. Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association 2025;31(4):398 View
  38. Sinha C, Dinesh D, Heaukulani C, Phang Y. Examining a brief web and longitudinal app-based intervention [Wysa] for mental health support in Singapore during the COVID-19 pandemic: mixed-methods retrospective observational study. Frontiers in Digital Health 2024;6 View
  39. Park J, Singh V, Wisniewski P. Current Landscape and Future Directions for Mental Health Conversational Agents for Youth: Scoping Review. JMIR Medical Informatics 2025;13:e62758 View
  40. Yang Q, Cheung K, Zhang Y, Zhang Y, Qin J, Xie Y. Conversational agents in physical and psychological symptom management: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. International Journal of Nursing Studies 2025;163:104991 View
  41. Lau Y, Ang W, Ang W, Pang P, Wong S, Chan K, Lamela D. Artificial Intelligence–Based Psychotherapeutic Intervention on Psychological Outcomes: A Meta‐Analysis and Meta‐Regression. Depression and Anxiety 2025;2025(1) View
  42. Yang L, Zhang M, Jia L, Yan Z, Yin Q. Understanding digital therapeutics in disease self-management: A systematic literature review. Technology in Society 2025;81:102831 View
  43. Snipes C, Dorner‑Ciossek C, Hare B, Besedina O, Campellone T, Petrova M, Lakhan S, Pratap A. Establishment and Maintenance of a Digital Therapeutic Alliance in People Living With Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia: Two Exploratory Single-Arm Studies. JMIR Mental Health 2025;12:e64959 View
  44. Joshi A, Ghogare A, Madavi P. Systematic review of artificial intelligence enabled psychological interventions for depression and anxiety: A comprehensive analysis. Industrial Psychiatry Journal 2025;34(2):158 View
  45. Yuan A, Garcia Colato E, Pescosolido B, Song H, Samtani S. Improving Workplace Well-being in Modern Organizations: A Review of Large Language Model-based Mental Health Chatbots. ACM Transactions on Management Information Systems 2025;16(1):1 View
  46. Chen T, Chu G, Pan R, Ma W. Effectiveness of mental health chatbots in depression and anxiety for adolescents and young adults: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Expert Review of Medical Devices 2025;22(3):233 View
  47. Ding X, Shang B, Xie C, Xin J, Yu F. Artificial intelligence in the COVID-19 pandemic: balancing benefits and ethical challenges in China’s response. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications 2025;12(1) View
  48. Zhu S, Wang Y, Hu Y. Facilitators and Barriers to Digital Mental Health Interventions for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress in Adolescents and Young Adults: Scoping Review. Journal of Medical Internet Research 2025;27:e62870 View
  49. Chan C. AI as the Therapist: Student Insights on the Challenges of Using Generative AI for School Mental Health Frameworks. Behavioral Sciences 2025;15(3):287 View
  50. Madrid‐Cagigal A, Kealy C, Potts C, Mulvenna M, Byrne M, Barry M, Donohoe G. Digital Mental Health Interventions for University Students With Mental Health Difficulties: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis. Early Intervention in Psychiatry 2025;19(3) View
  51. Coelho J, Pécune F, Micoulaud-Franchi J, Bioulac B, Philip P. Promoting mental health in the age of new digital tools: balancing challenges and opportunities of social media, chatbots, and wearables. Frontiers in Digital Health 2025;7 View
  52. Russ-Jara A, Saleem J, Herout J. A practical guide to usability questionnaires that evaluate clinicians’ perceptions of health information technology. Journal of Biomedical Informatics 2025;165:104822 View
  53. Feng Y, Hang Y, Wu W, Song X, Xiao X, Dong F, Qiao Z. Effectiveness of AI-Driven Conversational Agents in Improving Mental Health Among Young People: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Medical Internet Research 2025;27:e69639 View
  54. Potts C, Kealy C, McNulty J, Madrid-Cagigal A, Wilson T, Mulvenna M, O'Neill S, Donohoe G, Barry M. Digital Mental Health Interventions for Young People Aged 16-25 Years: Scoping Review. Journal of Medical Internet Research 2025;27:e72892 View
  55. Bunge E, Desage C. A Framework for Evaluating Mental Health Artificial Intelligence-based Conversational Agents. Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science 2025 View
  56. Kazdin A. Perceived need for treatment for mental disorders: A review and critical evaluation. Clinical Psychology Review 2025;119:102591 View
  57. Leung W, Yau C, Lam S. Facilitators, barriers, and recommendations for mobile health applications among Chinese older populations: a scoping review. BMC Geriatrics 2025;25(1) View
  58. Denecke K, Rivera Romero O, Wynn R, Gabarron E. Persuasive chatbot-based interventions for depression: a list of recommendations for improving reporting standards. Frontiers in Psychiatry 2025;16 View
  59. Algumaei A, Yaacob N, Doheir M, Al-Andoli M, Algumaie M. Symmetric Therapeutic Frameworks and Ethical Dimensions in AI-Based Mental Health Chatbots (2020–2025): A Systematic Review of Design Patterns, Cultural Balance, and Structural Symmetry. Symmetry 2025;17(7):1082 View
  60. Li J, Li Y, Hu Y, Ma D, Mei X, Chan E, Yorke J. Chatbot‐Delivered Interventions for Improving Mental Health Among Young People: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing 2025;22(4) View
  61. Kang S, Lee Y, Kim N, Ok S, Kim P, Park O, Kim D, Jang Y, Kim H. Beneficial effect of artificial intelligence care call on memory and depression in community dwelling individuals with dementia. Scientific Reports 2025;15(1) View
  62. Ye X, Shan X, Tu Y, Zhang Y. Examining the Efficacy of Large Language Models for Mitigating Depression and Anxiety Among Chinese Students. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing 2025;43(9) View
  63. Reyes-Portillo J, So A, McAlister K, Nicodemus C, Golden A, Jacobson C, Huberty J. Generative AI–Powered Mental Wellness Chatbot for College Student Mental Wellness: Open Trial. JMIR Formative Research 2025;9:e71923 View
  64. Papiernik P, Dzula S, Zimanyi M, Millgate E, Bouazzaoui M, Buttimer J, Warren G, Cooper E, Catarino A, Mehew S, Marshall E, Tablan V, Blackwell A, Palmer C. Acceptability of a Conversational Agent–Led Digital Program for Anxiety: Mixed Methods Study of User Perspectives. JMIR Human Factors 2025;12:e76377 View
  65. Dallison S, Munir S, Chubb E, Padley H, Fung H, Desrochers D, Loades M. How have contemporary research studies used social media to recruit to digital self-help intervention research for young people’s mental health?: a mapping review. BMC Medical Research Methodology 2025;25(1) View
  66. Liu Y, Sang T, Shu W, Qiu Q, Hu Y. Confiding to AI: Impacts of ICE Framework-Based Body Movements of VR Chatbots on User Self-Disclosure and Experience. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction 2025:1 View
  67. Zhao Y, Qian W, Chen Y, Wu D, Luo Y, Gao C, Wu K, Liu Z. Effect of an AI agent trained on a large language model (LLM) as an intervention for depression and anxiety symptoms in young adults: A 28‐day randomized controlled trial. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being 2025;17(5) View
  68. DeTemple D, Meine T. Comparison of the readability of ChatGPT and Bard in medical communication: a meta-analysis. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making 2025;25(1) View
  69. Guo Y, Liu X. School education prevents AI dependency to promote mental health among college students. Journal of Affective Disorders 2026;392:120185 View
  70. Chin H, Baek G, Cha C, Cha M. Chatbots’ Empathetic Conversations and Responses: A Qualitative Study of Help‑Seeking Queries on Depressive Moods Across 8 Commercial Conversational Agents. JMIR Formative Research 2025;9:e71538 View
  71. Hua Y, Siddals S, Ma Z, Galatzer‐Levy I, Xia W, Hau C, Na H, Flathers M, Linardon J, Ayubcha C, Torous J. Charting the evolution of artificial intelligence mental health chatbots from rule‐based systems to large language models: a systematic review. World Psychiatry 2025;24(3):383 View
  72. Saracini C, Cornejo-Plaza M, Cippitani R. Techno-emotional projection in human–GenAI relationships: a psychological and ethical conceptual perspective. Frontiers in Psychology 2025;16 View
  73. Ding W, Zhang Y, Wang M, Wang S. Post-pandemic mental health: Understanding the global psychological burden and charting future research priorities. World Journal of Psychiatry 2025;15(10) View
  74. Hall A, Perrotta A, Shariati K, Patel A, Lee J. Artificial Intelligence Chatbots in Surgical Care: A Systematic Review of Clinical Applications. Journal of Artificial Intelligence for Medical Sciences 2025;00(00):1 View
  75. Im C, Woo M. Clinical Efficacy, Therapeutic Mechanisms, and Implementation Features of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy–Based Chatbots for Depression and Anxiety: Narrative Review. JMIR Mental Health 2025;12:e78340 View
  76. Lee M, Yap K, Ho M. What was done for youths aged 15 to 24 around the world? A systematic review of worldwide mental health interventions. Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health 2025;12 View
  77. Fu Y, Chen Y, Gomes Da Costa Lai Z, Hiniker A. Should ChatGPT Write Your Breakup Text? Exploring the Role of AI in Relationship Dissolution. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction 2025;9(7):1 View
  78. Xu Z, Lee Y, Stasiak K, Warren J, Lottridge D. The Digital Therapeutic Alliance With Mental Health Chatbots: Diary Study and Thematic Analysis. JMIR Mental Health 2025;12:e76642 View
  79. Du Q, Ren Y, Meng Z, He H, Meng S. The Efficacy of Rule-Based Versus Large Language Model-Based Chatbots in Alleviating Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Medical Internet Research 2025;27:e78186 View
  80. Zhang Q, Zhang R, Xiong Y, Sui Y, Tong C, Lin F. Generative AI Mental Health Chatbots as Therapeutic Tools: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of their Role in Reducing Mental Health Issues (Preprint). Journal of Medical Internet Research 2025 View
  81. Qiaochu Z, Yahui W. Effectiveness of Mobile‐Based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Depression and Anxiety in Children and Young People: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy 2025;32(6) View
  82. Feng X, Tian L, Ho G, Yorke J, Hui V. The Effectiveness of AI Chatbots in Alleviating Mental Distress and Promoting Health Behaviors Among Adolescents and Young Adults: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Medical Internet Research 2025;27:e79850 View
  83. Almeida K, Farias Y, Souza J. IMPACTO DA INTELIGÊNCIA ARTIFICIAL NA SAÚDE MENTAL DE JOVENS ADULTOS: BENEFÍCIOS, DESAFIOS E PERSPECTIVAS. REVISTA FOCO 2025;18(11):e10733 View
  84. Lima Neto J, Castro A. EFICÁCIA DE PROGRAMAS DE INTELIGÊNCIA ARTIFICIAL COM APLICAÇÃO DE CHATBOTS NO AUXÍLIO AO CUIDADO A SAÚDE MENTAL. REVISTA FOCO 2025;18(12):e10864 View

Books/Policy Documents

  1. Díaz Carrillo M, Ramírez Pírez M, Lemos Chang G. Applied Informatics. View
  2. Veldhuizen-Ochodničanová E, Cotton R, Putney C, Brennan M, Haahr M. Serious Games. View
  3. Striegl J, Rottmann S, Loitsch C. Intelligent Systems and Applications. View
  4. Guo Z, Lai A, Deng Z, Li K. Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare. View
  5. Cho C, Lee H, Kim Y. Recent Advances and Challenges in the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder. View
  6. Asadi A, Prabhakar A. Proceedings of the Future Technologies Conference (FTC) 2024, Volume 3. View
  7. Ech-Cheikh S, Kharmoum N, Ziti S. HealthTech “Global Summit of Digital Health”. View

Conference Proceedings

  1. Rani K, Vishnoi H, Mishra M. 2023 International Conference on Disruptive Technologies (ICDT). A Mental Health Chatbot Delivering Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Remote Health Monitoring Using NLP And AI View
  2. Chen A. 2023 The 5th World Symposium on Software Engineering (WSSE). Using Conversational AI to Service Organizational Agility and Flexibility: The Dynamic Capability and Option View View
  3. Mohammad A, Clark B, Agarwal R, Garg S. 2023 Congress in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, & Applied Computing (CSCE). Scaling Mental Health with Advanced Analytics Employing Responsible AI: Introducing Next Generation Emotionally Aware Smart AI Agents View
  4. Ma Z, Mei Y, Long Y, Su Z, Gajos K. Proceedings of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. Evaluating the Experience of LGBTQ+ People Using Large Language Model Based Chatbots for Mental Health Support View
  5. V K H, R M B, Upreti C, Alex L. 2024 IEEE Students Conference on Engineering and Systems (SCES). Mental Health Chatbot View
  6. Angeline R, Roshini S, Sajith M, Shasti M. 2024 2nd International Conference on Advances in Computation, Communication and Information Technology (ICAICCIT). ELEVATE: An AI-Driven Virtual Companion for Nurturing Mental Health Support for Students View
  7. Nuraeni Januarita I, Wijaya R, Kosala G. 2025 IEEE International Conference on Artificial Intelligence for Learning and Optimization (ICoAILO). Reinforcement Learning Approach for Persuasive Sentence Evaluation in Child Marriage Prevention AI Assistant View
  8. De Souza P, Alves V, Pires I, Bleicher T, Garcia F, da Silva G, Neris V. Anais do XXIV Simpósio Brasileiro sobre Fatores Humanos em Sistemas Computacionais (IHC 2025). A Codesign Approach for Conversational User Interfaces to Support College Students with Depression View