Mental Health Management as a Social Endeavour: Challenges and Opportunities for Conversational Agent Design

Conversational agents (CAs) are a tempting type of computer interface for assisting people’s mental health due to their ability to simulate human-like interactions, however their integration within the broader social context of mental health management remains largely under-explored. Recognizing that managing one’s mental health is often a social rather than individual activity involving close persons such as partners, family, and friends, our research takes a social orientation to mental health management. Utilizing design cards that depict fictional, yet plausible CA concepts, we present the analysis of an interview study with 24 young adults to understand their views on CAs for both their own use and for a close person. Participants viewed CAs as potentially valuable complements to human support, but expressed concerns about over-reliance and replacement. Our analysis reveal key tensions, design considerations, and opportunities for integrating CAs into mental health ecosystems in ways that respect and enhance existing social support structures.