A Conversational Agent to Treat Depression in Young People (CADY)
A chatbot as therapeutic support for young people with depression.
In the CADY research project, we are developing a chatbot to support young people (13 to 21 years old) suffering from depression. The CADY chatbot regularly checks in with users to see how they are doing and offers therapeutic exercises based on cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy.
The project began in June 2021, and the CADY app is scheduled for completion in early 2023. CADY is primarily intended for young people who are waiting for a therapy appointment or who do not want traditional therapy.
CADY is being developed in several stages.
We pursue a participatory approach: We involve young people with depression in the process at as many points as possible.
1. Needs and desires of the target group
July 2021 - September 2021
As a first step, we conducted a study to identify the problems and coping mechanisms associated with depression, and, most importantly, the needs and desires of young people living with depression. To this end, we interviewed 14 young people (aged 14-17) with depression. The results will inform the development of CADY and are expected to be published soon.
2. Development of a prototype
Dezember 2021 - March 2022
Following the study, we developed a prototype for CADY. To do this, we reviewed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy manuals and created the essential content for CADY. The CADY prototype first gets to know the users and then guides them through the following topics: 1) Motivation for change, 2) Knowledge about depression and therapy, 3) Behavioral activation, 4) Cognitive restructuring, 5) Sleep hygiene, 6) Social skills.
3. Evaluation of the prototype
Juni 2022 - September 2022
In the second study of the research project, we are evaluating the prototype using qualitative and quantitative methods. The goal is to obtain feedback for the appropriate further development of the dialogues and to gather further insights into how such a chatbot should be designed.
4. Development of the chatbot app
August 2022 - January 2023
Following the evaluation of the prototype, a mobile app for CADY will be developed.
5. Evaluation in a clinical trial
2023
Finally, we would like to verify the effectiveness of CADY in a randomized controlled trial.
CADY's video appearance at beta stories
Please note: Once you watch the video, data will be transmitted to Youtube/Google. For more information, see Google Privacy.
Partners and sponsors
CADY is being developed in cooperation with Sven Scheu, Dr. Ulrich Gnewuch and Prof. Dr. Alexander Mädche of the Information Systems I research group at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.
The CADY project is funded by the Foundation of German Business with a doctoral scholarship, as well as by Cents for help e.V. and MountainMinds.
Contact
If you are interested, please contact Florian Onur Kuhlmeier or Stefan Lüttke.