Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40162180›Full record

ArticleDigital health

Designing digital conversational agents for youth with multiple mental health conditions: Insights on key features from a youth-engaged qualitative descriptive study.

Jingyi Hou, Jamie Gibson, Thalia Phi, Brian Ritchie, Louise Gallagher, Gillian Strudwick, George Foussias, Darren B Courtney, Aristotle Voineskos, Stephanie Ameis and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Digital health. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Jingyi HouCampbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Jamie GibsonCampbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Thalia PhiCampbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Brian RitchieKamazooie Development Corporation ("Kama.AI"), Toronto, ON, Canada.
Louise GallagherCampbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Gillian StrudwickCampbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
George FoussiasCampbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Darren B CourtneyCampbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Aristotle VoineskosCampbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Stephanie AmeisCampbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Kristin CleverleyCampbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Lisa D HawkeCampbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1108-9453

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective: This qualitative study aims to examine the key features and design elements of a mental health digital conversational agent ("Digital Conversational Agent" or "DCA") for youth with multiple mental health conditions. Methods: Twenty-eight youth participants aged 14 to 25 were recruited from the Toronto Adolescent and Youth (TAY) Cohort study. Data were collected through focus groups guided by a semi-structured interview guide. Focus group discussions were audio-recorded, and transcripts were analyzed using codebook thematic analysis. Youth engagement was integrated throughout the study. Results: Four key themes were generated from the focus group data: (1) the importance of a customizable and flexible design for personalization; (2) confidentiality, privacy features and risk mitigation features; (3) the need for reliable, informative content that is user tested and validated; (4) a friendly and human-like interaction style. Conclusions: The study identified key design features that may enhance youth engagement and trust in DCAs for mental health support. Collaborating with youth engagement specialist and industry partners underscored the value of co-designed approach in preparing to develop relevant, feasible, and ethical DCAs.

Indexed as

AI agentschatbotsdigital conversational agentsmental healthvirtual agentsYouth

Identifiers

PMID40162180
PMCPMC11951898

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.