Co-creating requirements and assessing end-user acceptability of a voice-based chatbot to support mental health: A thematic analysis of a living lab workshop

Mental health and mental wellbeing have become an important factor to many citizens navigating their way through their environment and in the work place. New technology solutions such as chatbots are potential channels for supporting and coaching users to maintain a good state of mental wellbeing. Chatbots have the added value of providing social conversations and coaching 24/7 outside from conventional mental health services. However, little is known about the acceptability and user led requirements of this technology. This paper uses a living lab approach to elicit requirements, opinions and attitudes towards the use of chatbots for supporting mental health. The data collected was acquired from people living with anxiety or mild depression in a workshop setting. The audio of the workshop was recorded and a thematic analysis was carried out. The results are the co-created functional requirements and a number of use case scenarios that can be of interest to guide future development of chatbots in the mental health domain.