Development and usability testing of a chatbot to promote mental health services use among individuals with eating disorders following screening.

Objective: A significant gap exists between those who need and those who receive care for eating disorders (EDs). Novel solutions are needed to encourage service use and address treatment barriers. This study developed and evaluated the usability of a chatbot designed for pairing with online ED scre...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:International Journal of Eating Disorders Vol. 55; no. 9; pp. 1229 - 1245
Autores principales: Shah, Jillian, DePietro, Bianca, D'Adamo, Laura, Firebaugh, Marie‐Laure, Laing, Olivia, Fowler, Lauren A., Smolar, Lauren, Sadeh‐Sharvit, Shiri, Taylor, C. Barr, Wilfley, Denise E., Fitzsimmons‐Craft, Ellen E.
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Wiley-Blackwell Sep2022
Materias:
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
fields @attributes:
  recordID: 1
pdfLink:
plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ssf&AN=158880998&site=ehost-live
header:
  @attributes:
    shortDbName: ssf
    uiTerm: 158880998
    longDbName: Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson)
    uiTag: AN
  controlInfo:
    bkinfo:
    jinfo:
      jid:
        02763478
        IJD
      jtl: International Journal of Eating Disorders
      issn: 02763478
      maglogo: Y
    pubinfo:
      dt: Sep2022
      vid: 55
      iid: 9
      pid: 480
      pub: Wiley-Blackwell
    artinfo:
      ui:
        158880998
        10.1002/eat.23798
      ppf: 1229
      ppct: 16
      formats:
      tig:
        atl: Development and usability testing of a chatbot to promote mental health services use among individuals with eating disorders following screening.
      aug:
        au:
          Shah, Jillian
          DePietro, Bianca
          D'Adamo, Laura
          Firebaugh, Marie‐Laure
          Laing, Olivia
          Fowler, Lauren A.
          Smolar, Lauren
          Sadeh‐Sharvit, Shiri
          Taylor, C. Barr
          Wilfley, Denise E.
          Fitzsimmons‐Craft, Ellen E.
        affil:
          Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis Missouri,, USA
          National Eating Disorders Association, New York City New York,, USA
          Center for m2Health, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto California,, USA
          Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford California,, USA
      su:
        Treatment of eating disorders
        Telepsychiatry
        Motivation (Psychology)
        Motivational interviewing
        Medical screening
        Interviewing
        Self-efficacy
        Instant messaging
        Mental health services
        Health promotion
        Diagnosis of eating disorders
        User-centered system design
        Decision trees
        Research methodology
        User interfaces
        Digital health
        Psychoeducation
        Medical care use
        Software architecture
        Surveys
        Questionnaires
      sug:
        subj:
          Treatment of eating disorders
          Telepsychiatry
          Motivation (Psychology)
          Motivational interviewing
          Medical screening
          Interviewing
          Self-efficacy
          Instant messaging
          Mental health services
          Health promotion
          All Other Miscellaneous Ambulatory Health Care Services
          Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals
          Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities
          Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians)
          Computer systems design and related services (except video game design and development)
          Diagnosis of eating disorders
          User-centered system design
          Decision trees
          Research methodology
          User interfaces
          Digital health
          Psychoeducation
          Medical care use
          Software architecture
          Surveys
          Questionnaires
      keyword:
        chatbot
        chatbot design
        chatbot development
        conversational agent
        digital intervention
        eating disorder
        health screening
        mental health treatment
        mhealth
        chatbot
        chatbot design
        chatbot development
        conversational agent
        digital intervention
        eating disorder
        health screening
        mental health treatment
        mhealth
      ab: Objective: A significant gap exists between those who need and those who receive care for eating disorders (EDs). Novel solutions are needed to encourage service use and address treatment barriers. This study developed and evaluated the usability of a chatbot designed for pairing with online ED screening. The tool aimed to promote mental health service utilization by improving motivation for treatment and self‐efficacy among individuals with EDs. Methods: A chatbot prototype, Alex, was designed using decision trees and theoretically‐informed components: psychoeducation, motivational interviewing, personalized recommendations, and repeated administration. Usability testing was conducted over four iterative cycles, with user feedback informing refinements to the next iteration. Post‐testing, participants (N= 21) completed the System Usability Scale (SUS), the Usefulness, Satisfaction, and Ease of Use Questionnaire (USE), and a semi‐structured interview. Results: Interview feedback detailed chatbot aspects participants enjoyed and aspects necessitating improvement. Feedback converged on four themes: user experience, chatbot qualities, chatbot content, and ease of use. Following refinements, users described Alex as humanlike, supportive, and encouraging. Content was perceived as novel and personally relevant. USE scores across domains were generally above average (~5 out of 7), and SUS scores indicated "good" to "excellent" usability across cycles, with the final iteration receiving the highest average score. Discussion: Overall, participants generally reflected positively on interactions with Alex, including the initial version. Refinements between cycles further improved user experiences. This study provides preliminary evidence of the feasibility and acceptance of a chatbot designed to promote motivation for and use of services among individuals with EDs. Public Significance: Low rates of service utilization and treatment have been observed among individuals following online eating disorder screening. Tools are needed, including scalable, digital options, that can be easily paired with screening, to improve motivation for addressing eating disorders and promote service utilization.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
    refInfo:
    copyright:
      @attributes:
        flag: N
    holdings:
      @attributes:
        islocal: N