Effectiveness of a Guided Mental Health Chatbot for Youth Living in Lithuania

Effectiveness of a Guided Mental Health Chatbot STARS for Youth Living in Lithuania: a Randomized Controlled Trial

The study aims to assess the effectiveness of a guided mental health chatbot called "Scalable Technology for Adolescents and youth to Reduce Stress (STARS)", adapted for youth living in Lithuania.

The intervention is a guided mental health chatbot STARS developed by the World Health Organization (WHO). It consists of 10 sessions which include: Introduction (1), Psychoeducation (2), Emotion Regulation (3, 4), Behavior Activation (5, 6), Managing Problems (7), Supportive Self-talk (8, 9), and Relapse Prevention (10). Each session consists of psychoeducation and exercise parts. Trained and supervised non-specialists (called e-helpers) provide weekly calls (five calls lasting approximately 15 minutes) to support participants individually.

The effect of the intervention will be compared against a control group which receives enhanced usual care.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age of 18-25 years
• Understanding the Lithuanian language
• Having access to a device for intervention delivery
• Experiencing moderate levels of psychological distress (a cut-off score of 8 as measured with Kessler-6)

Exclusion Criteria:

• People at imminent risk of suicide
• People currently experiencing a psychotic episode
• People currently experiencing interpersonal violence
• Current dependency on alcohol/drugs