The Digital Therapeutic Alliance With Mental Health Chatbots: Diary Study and Thematic Analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Mental health chatbots are increasingly used to address the global mental health treatment gap by offering scalable, accessible, and anonymous support. While prior research suggests that users may develop relationships with these chatbots, the mechanisms and individual differences underlying such relational experiences remain underexplored. As the concept of the digital therapeutic alliance (DTA) gains traction, a deeper understanding of subjective relationship-building processes is essential to inform the design of more effective digital mental health interventions.

Objective

This study aimed to investigate how people subjectively perceive and develop relationships with mental health chatbots over time. We sought to identify key experiential dimensions and intera

SUBMITTER: Xu Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12552820 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature