ArticleJMIR mHealth and uHealth2023
An Overview of Chatbot-Based Mobile Mental Health Apps: Insights From App Description and User Reviews.
Article in JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 104 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
104 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 309 citations in OpenAlex.
- The use of chatbots as interventions for mental health conditions: scoping review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.Frontiers in digital health · 2026Pooled it
- Evaluating Characteristics and Quality of Mental Health Apps Available in App Stores for Indian Users: Systematic App Search and Review.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2025Pooled it
- Digital health interventions with healthcare information and self-management resources for young people with ADHD: a mixed-methods systematic review and narrative synthesis.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2025Pooled it
- Exploring depression in adults over a decade: a review of longitudinal studies.BMC psychiatry · 2025Pooled it
- Large Language Models for Mental Health Applications: Systematic Review.JMIR mental health · 2024Pooled it
- The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Clinical Psychology: How AI and NLP Systems Are Reshaping Psychological Interventions. A Systematic Review.Clinical psychology & psychotherapyPooled it
- Effect of a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Based AI Chatbot on Depression and Loneliness in Chinese University Students: Randomized Controlled Trial With Financial Stress Moderation.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2025Trial
- The Effectiveness of a Chatbot Single-Session Intervention for People on Waitlists for Eating Disorder Treatment: Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Trial
- GymBuddy and Elomia, AI-integrated applications, effects on the mental health of the students with psychological disorders.BMC psychology · 2025Trial
- Debate: Conversational AI and young people's mental health - friend or foe? - the illusion of a safe space for youth mental health.Child and adolescent mental health · 2026Article
- AI-informed healthcare pedagogy: a review of the literature and application to pedagogical practice informed by case studies from dental education.British dental journal · 2026Review
- Large Language Model-Based Behavioral Activation Chatbot for Young People With Depression Using Artificial Users and Clinical Experts: Mixed Methods Evaluation.JMIR mental health · 2026Article
- From Personalization to Therapeutic Continuity: Framework for Memory in AI-Powered Mental Health Systems.JMIR AI · 2026Article
- Immediate and Sustained Improvements in Mood and Stress Associated With Yuna, an AI-Powered Digital Mental Health Intervention: Real-World Retrospective Study.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2026Article
- Artificial Intelligence, Wearable Technologies, and Virtual Reality in Precision Nutrition and Obesity Management: A Critical Narrative Review.Diseases (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Health Care Professionals' Perspectives on Conversational Mental Health Chatbots: Protocol for a Systematic Review.JMIR research protocols · 2026Article
- Body Image and Eating Disorder Education Chatbot, JEM, in Australia and Canada: First 6-Month Real-World Survey Evaluation.JMIR human factors · 2026Article
- Conversational AI in Cognitive and Social Training for People with Dementia: A Systematic Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
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44 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundChatbots are an emerging technology that show potential for mental health care apps to enable effective and practical evidence-based therapies. As this technology is still relatively new, little is known about recently developed apps and their characteristics and effectiveness.
objectiveIn this study, we aimed to provide an overview of the commercially available popular mental health chatbots and how they are perceived by users.
methodsWe conducted an exploratory observation of 10 apps that offer support and treatment for a variety of mental health concerns with a built-in chatbot feature and qualitatively analyzed 3621 consumer reviews from the Google Play Store and 2624 consumer reviews from the Apple App Store.
resultsWe found that although chatbots' personalized, humanlike interactions were positively received by users, improper responses and assumptions about the personalities of users led to a loss of interest. As chatbots are always accessible and convenient, users can become overly attached to them and prefer them over interacting with friends and family. Furthermore, a chatbot may offer crisis care whenever the user needs it because of its 24/7 availability, but even recently developed chatbots lack the understanding of properly identifying a crisis. Chatbots considered in this study fostered a judgment-free environment and helped users feel more comfortable sharing sensitive information.
conclusionsOur findings suggest that chatbots have great potential to offer social and psychological support in situations where real-world human interaction, such as connecting to friends or family members or seeking professional support, is not preferred or possible to achieve. However, there are several restrictions and limitations that these chatbots must establish according to the level of service they offer. Too much reliance on technology can pose risks, such as isolation and insufficient assistance during times of crisis. Recommendations for customization and balanced persuasion to inform the design of effective chatbots for mental health support have been outlined based on the insights of our findings.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.