Language adaptations of mental health interventions: User interaction comparisons with an AI-enabled conversational agent (Wysa) in English and Spanish

Abstract

Background: In recent times, digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) have been proven to be efficacious; however, most are available only for English speakers, leaving limited options for non-English languages like Spanish. Research shows that mental health services in one's dominant language show better outcomes. Conversational agents (CAs) offer promise in supporting mental health in non-English populations. This study compared a culturally adapted version of an artificial intelligence (AI)-led mental health app, called Wysa, in Spanish and English. Objectives: To compare user engagement patterns on Wysa-Spanish and Wysa-English and to understand expressions of distress and preferred language in both versions of Wysa. Methods: We adopted a cross-sectional retrospective exploratory design with mixed methods, analyzing users from 10 Spanish-speaking countries between 1 February and 1 August 2022. A quantitative sample A (n = 2767) was used for descriptive statistics, including user engagement metrics with a Wilcoxon test. A subset qualitative sample B (n = 338) was examined for word count differences based on valence, and a content analysis was conducted to examine idioms of distress. Results: Compared to Wysa-English, Wysa-Spanish had more sessions (P