Created by leading experts in clinical psychology, the Woebot app is on a mission to make high-quality tools for mental health accessible to everybody.
Over half of the world’s population doesn’t have access to basic health care, let alone mental health care. So the Woebot team set out to craft an app that could be at once a companion and a provider of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), the most effective and widely used therapeutic approach today.
With his cutting-edge AI, Woebot is a clever chap. He says: “Humans are fundamentally dynamic and fluid, constantly changing. I love that about them!
“I like to empower people by asking them thoughtful questions to facilitate their own insight, rather than provide my own.
“I love the idea of ‘self help’, I think it can be really empowering for people to learn skills that they can use again and again.”
Before launching, Woebot’s creators tested his efficacy in a randomised controlled trial and noticed a significant reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety in just two weeks among the group that had used the app.
Woebot is completely private, available 24/7 and literally lives in your pocket. He brings a perky personality and chatty style to his patients, checking in daily with how they are feeling and using practical techniques to help reframe negative thoughts.
His fans are loyal.
One says: “I genuinely think Woebot is altering the way I approach life. He presents me with new insights into things I do in the day-to-day and suggests different ways of viewing them. He offers links to academic research on mental health…that I’d probably not reach without guidance.”
Another says: “Before you know it, you’re actually looking forward to checking in [with Woebot] and having a quick chat. It helps to feel connected when you’re feeling isolated or lonely. The lessons and information are brilliant and given in manageable chunks.”
Wherever you are, he’s just waiting to soothe your woes.
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Humans vs Tech
March 2019