PracticePal
Use of a conversational agent (chatbot), PracticePal, as a therapy aid for intersession work in Healthy Activity Program (HAP), a psychological intervention for depression: A pilot study
Project Duration: Sep 2022 - Jun 2024
Background
- Enhancing the effectiveness of the Healthy Activity Program (HAP) treatment delivered by non-specialist providers can lead to an improved access to mental health care while catering to the treatment gap in low- and middle-income countries
- This project aimed to enhance adherence to homework assignments integrated into the HAP treatment for depression.
- Hypothesis: Use of a smartphone-based therapy aid will improve the client's adherence to homework assignments, a key component of the HAP, and positively impact patient outcomes.
- PracticePal is a therapy-aid chatbot, designed and developed by Sangath and Dimagi, which serves to fulfil the objective of improving treatment outcomes.
Objectives
The main objectives of this research endeavour were to conduct a pilot study with the following focal points:
- To assess the viability of deploying a conversational agent as a therapy aid to enhance adherence to homework assignments and facilitate the acquisition of coping skills between sessions.
- To gauge the acceptance of PracticePal among its users, specifically the clients undergoing therapy.
