Benjamin Lee1 and Moddwyn Andaya2, 1USA, 2Computer Science Department, California State Polytechnic University, USA
Poor mental health and mental illness have become more widespread in recent years, resulting in a greater need to expand the accessibility of mental health treatment. To address this issue, this study proposes an application to provide a widely appealing and easily accessible alternative to traditional mental health treatment by implementing an artificial intelligence chatbot and gamification of self-care. The AI chatbot serves as a companion, counselor, and self-help advisor for individuals who are unable to seek professional human help, while gamification incentivizes users to maintain self-care habits which can improve both physical and mental well-being. The application uses Unity as the basis for its gameplay elements, and Inworld AI to simulate realistic and dynamic conversations through natural language processing. In an experiment involving the application, results demonstrated a greater reduction of anxiety and depression symptoms among application users than among non-users. These results highlight the positive impact of AI chatbots and gamification on overall mental health.
Artificial intelligence, Gamification, Anxiety, Depression
