Effectiveness and Usability of AI-based Chatbots in Improving Depression Literacy, Attitudes Toward Depression, Help-Seeking Intentions, and Confidence in Helping Others: a Randomized Controlled Trial
试验速览
- 阶段
- 不适用
- 状态
- 进行中（未招募）
- 发起方
- 入组人数
- 200
- 试验地点
- 1
- 主要终点
- Depression Literacy Scale (D-Lit)
研究概览
简要总结
The purpose of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to find out whether using AI Chatbots can help the public better understand depression, reduce negative attitudes towards it, and encourage more people to seek help when needed. The study will also explore whether the Chatbot can help individuals feel more confident in supporting others who might be experiencing depression.
Participants will be randomly assigned to either:
- AI-PsyTeacher Group: Participants interact with the AI psychology teacher "Liran" to complete three progressive tasks (identifying depression symptoms, learning coping strategies, and understanding prevention). This group assesses the independent role of AI in mental health education.
- AI-Integrated Intervention Group: Participants first learn with the AI psychology teacher "Liran" and then interact with the AI-simulated depressed patient "Beibei" to complete three tasks (identifying issues, teaching coping strategies, and creating a prevention plan). This group examines the combined effect of AI teaching and patient simulation.
- Traditional Psychoeducation Group (Control): Participants gain depression-related knowledge by reading traditional educational materials and watching a first-person experience video. This group serves as the control to compare AI interventions.
Primary outcomes include changes in depression literacy, attitudes toward depression, help-seeking intentions, and confidence in helping others. The study aims to determine whether AI-driven interactive learning can improve public understanding and support for mental health.
研究设计
- 研究类型
- Interventional
- 分配方式
- Randomized
- 干预模型
- Parallel
- 主要目的
- Prevention
- 盲法
- None
入排标准
- 年龄范围
- 18 Years 至 65 Years（Adult, Older Adult）
- 性别
- All
- 接受健康志愿者
- 是
入选标准
- •Adults aged 18 to
- •General population, non-clinical individuals.
- •No history of diagnosed mental disorders or current mental health diagnosis.
- •Ability to complete AI interactions and related tasks via the internet or mobile devices.
- •Native Chinese speakers.
- •Willingness to participate in the study and sign an informed consent form.
排除标准
- •History of mental disorders or self-reported current mental health issues.
- •Currently undergoing psychological counseling.
- •Inability to use mobile or internet devices properly.
研究组 & 干预措施
AI Depression Education Teacher + AI Depression Patient Simulation Group
Participants in this group will interact with two AI-based chatbots, one after the other:
First Chatbot (Psychoeducation Phase): The first chatbot is designed to provide psychoeducation about depression. Participants will interact with the chatbot to learn key information, such as common symptoms of depression, causes, treatment options, coping strategies, and how to provide emotional support to others experiencing depression. The goal of this phase is to improve participants' understanding of depression and reduce stigma.
Second Chatbot (Empathy and Support Practice Phase): After completing the psychoeducation phase, participants will interact with a second chatbot simulating a person experiencing depression. This chatbot will simulate real-life conversations, allowing participants to practice empathetic communication, recognize signs of depression, and offer appropriate emotional support.
干预措施: AI Depression Literacy and Support Training (Behavioral)
Control Group
Participants in this group will not receive any intervention or access to the Chatbots. Participants will be directed to a depression-related article and a video describing the lived experience of a depression patient.
Participants in this group will complete the same baseline and post-study assessments as those in the intervention group, which include measures of depression literacy, attitudes toward depression, help-seeking intentions, and confidence in helping others.
干预措施: Psychoeducation Material Group (Behavioral)
AI Depression Education Teacher Only Group
Participants will interact with the AI Depression Education Teacher, an interactive chatbot designed to provide psychoeducation on depression. The chatbot covers topics such as depression symptoms, causes, treatment options, and ways to support individuals experiencing depression. Participants engage in structured conversations and receive real-time feedback to reinforce learning.
干预措施: AI Depression Literacy Education (Behavioral)
结局指标
主要结局
Depression Literacy Scale (D-Lit)
时间窗: pre-intervention, immediately after the intervention, 1-week follow-up, 4-week follow-up, 12-week follow-up
The Depression Literacy Scale is a 22-question survey that assesses a person's depression literacy. The questions are rated on a scale of "true", "false", or "I don't know". Each correct answer is worth one point, with higher scores indicating a higher level of depression literacy.
Depression Literacy Questionnaire
时间窗: pre-intervention, immediately after the intervention, 1-week follow-up, 4-week follow-up, 12-week follow-up
The Depression Literacy Questionnaire assesses mental health literacy specific to depression. It is a self-developed, 31-item questionnaire designed to assess participants' confidence in providing support to individuals experiencing depression. Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 ("Strongly Disagree") to 5 ("Strongly Agree"), with higher scores indicating greater depression literacy.
Depression Stigma Scale (DSS)
时间窗: pre-intervention, immediately after the intervention, 1-week follow-up, 4-week follow-up, 12-week follow-up
The Depression Stigma Scale is designed to measure stigma associated with depression. It has two subscales which measure two different types of stigma: personal and perceived. The Personal Stigma Subscale measures stigma in the respondents own attitudes towards depression by asking them to indicate how strongly they personally agree with nine statements about depression. The Perceived Stigma Subscale measures the respondent's perception about the attitudes of others towards depression by asking them to indicate what they think most other people believe about the same nine statements. Responses to each item are measured on a five-point scale (ranging from zero 'strongly disagree' to four 'strongly agree'). Higher scores indicate higher levels of depression stigma.
Acquisition Questionnaire (AQ-9)
时间窗: pre-intervention, immediately after the intervention, 1-week follow-up, 4-week follow-up, 12-week follow-up
The Attribution Questionnaire (AQ) is a 9-item self-report assessment tool designed to measure public stigma towards people with mental illnesses. This version assesses emotional reaction and discriminatory responses based on answers to a hypothetical vignette about a man with depression named Xiao Li. Responses assessing stigma towards Xiao Li are in the form of 9 items rated on a Likert scale ranging from 1 (not at all) to 9 (very much).
General Help-Seeking Questionnaire (GHSQ)
时间窗: pre-intervention, immediately after the intervention, 1-week follow-up, 4-week follow-up, 12-week follow-up
The General Help-Seeking Questionnaire (GHSQ) in this study is an adapted 12-item version designed to fit Chinese cultural contexts. It assesses an individual's intentions to seek help for personal or emotional problems from both formal sources (e.g., mental health professionals, doctors) and informal sources (e.g., family, friends). Each item is rated on a 7-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 ("Extremely Unlikely") to 7 ("Extremely Likely"), with higher scores indicating a greater likelihood of seeking help.
System Usability Scale (SUS)
时间窗: immediately after the intervention
The System Usability Scale (SUS) in this study is an adapted 9-item version designed to assess the usability of AI-based chatbots. It evaluates participants' perceptions of the ease of use, effectiveness, efficiency, and overall user experience of the chatbots. The scale uses a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 ("Strongly Disagree") to 5 ("Strongly Agree"), with higher scores indicating better perceived usability. Participants will complete the adapted SUS separately for both the AI Depression Education Teacher and the AI Depression Patient Simulation ("Beibei"). The adapted SUS maintains the core usability assessment principles of the original scale while being tailored for AI-driven conversational agents.
Confidence in Helping Others Scale
时间窗: pre-intervention, immediately after the intervention, 1-week follow-up, 4-week follow-up, 12-week follow-up
The Confidence in Helping Others Scale is a self-developed, 19-item questionnaire designed to measure participants' confidence in providing support to individuals experiencing mental health issues. Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 ("Strongly Disagree") to 5 ("Strongly Agree"), with higher scores indicating greater confidence in recognizing depressive symptoms, offering emotional support, and encouraging help-seeking.
次要结局
- General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7)(pre-intervention, immediately after the intervention, 1-week follow-up, 4-week follow-up, 12-week follow-up)
- Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)(pre-intervention, immediately after the intervention, 1-week follow-up, 4-week follow-up, 12-week follow-up)
- Basic Empathy Scale in Adults (BES-A)(pre-intervention, immediately after the intervention, 1-week follow-up, 4-week follow-up, 12-week follow-up)
- Mental Health-Related Behavior Questionnaire(pre-intervention, 4-week follow-up, 12-week follow-up)