An Artificial Intelligence-Based Virtual Human Avatar Application to Assess the Mental Health of Health Care Professionals: A Validation Study

Abstract

Many health care workers experience high levels of stress, mental health issues, and burnout, yet are less likely than most to seek mental health support. Given this challenge, non-stigmatizing approaches that promote access to assessments of mental health for this population are greatly needed to increase self-awareness and connection to care. Previous research has shown that when users engaged in dialog with a virtual human agent (VHA), they disclosed more information about their mental health compared with similar interactions with a live human or human-as-avatar assessor. An application called “BeCalm” was developed to conduct psychological assessments using conversational artificial intelligence and user interaction with a human-like VHA. BeCalm allows for both spoken and written “chat”-based communication. This pilot study aimed to measure the user experience, acceptability, and convergent validity of BeCalm. A cross-sectional, mixed-methods, one-arm study of BeCalm was conducted with 38 health care workers (mean age = 31.87, standard deviation = 11.28; 84% biologically female). Qualitative interviews indicated that the simulated interpersonal connection with the VHA was the most appealing aspect of BeCalm, with participants describing the VHA as warm and nonjudgmental. The second most highly rated aspect of the application was the information (resources, summary, and psychoeducation) provided at the end of the assessment. There was a range in levels of convergent validity between the BeCalm and conventional assessments across several symptom domains (rs = 0.101–0.766), with mood and occupational burnout assessed with the highest validity. Notably, spoken verbal interactions with the VHA elicited longer participant responses by an average of 60 characters compared with chat interactions. In summary, BeCalm can provide a valid mental health assessment and resources for an at-risk population through interactive technology and personalized feedback. BeCalm offers a user-friendly, scalable method for assessing health care workers’ mental health that could lead to behavioral change.

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