Research Snapshot: A mental health chatbot for youth

The first trial of Scalable Technology for Adolescents and Youth to Reduce Stress (STARS), a non-AI mental health chatbot paired with brief telephone support from a trained helper developed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), provides compelling early evidence that the intervention benefits young people in low-resource and crisis settings experiencing anxiety and depression.

Chatbots can increase availability of mental health provision in low-resource and humanitarian settings, especially for common mental health conditions. The mixed methods feasibility and randomised controlled trials (RCTs) showed that STARS is a highly engaging intervention that successfully reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression and improves overall wellbeing after 3 months. Findings suggest STARS can be successfully implemented in low-resource and humanitarian settings, especially those with limited mental health provision, with a potential to explore integration of STARs into ‘stepped care’ packages. STARS is currently being evaluated among youth in Lithuania and will be released by WHO if both trials show positive results.

This snapshot contains key messages, findings, implications for humanitarian policymakers and practitioners and recommendations for further research.