A Bot-based Self-help Program (WELL)

The intervention group involves a newly developed conversational agent self-care program. This program consists of 40 separate modules based on empirically supported techniques. Modules include the following core sections: cognitive behavioral skills, interpersonal relationships, positive psychological growth, relaxation, goal setting, and emotional regulation skills. The modules focus on cognitive-behavioral skills for reducing emotional distress, improving behavioral activation and healthy behaviors, and problem-solving skills. The intervention was delivered via a decision-tree based conversational agent in WhatsApp messenger.

"The control group involved referral to a menu of freely-available evidence-based wellness resources linked from the study website, Your Healthiest Self: Wellness Toolkits, Doing What Matters in Times of Stress, and How Right Now. These website choices involved self-selection of relevant modules for improving mood, reducing stress and anxiety, addressing relationship problems, and other wellness topics. These programs required only access to the websites and could be completed in a self-help format by participants at their own pace."