Innovators behind ChatPal mental wellbeing App virtually meet for progress update

The innovators behind the pioneering new ChatPal app – a chatbot aimed at promoting positive mental health – recently addressed progress and potential new advances in the technology following its launch in August.

ChatPal, a Positive Psychology ChatBot is a new mental health app designed to support users’ mental health and wellbeing. It starts a dialogue with users around how to maintain positive emotions and good physical health and is available for use 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Developed by researchers from Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) and Ulster University, the app develops relationships, as well as engendering a sense of accomplishment and meaning among users. ChatPal is a research project funded by the EU and the Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme, of which Action Mental Health is a partner member. The app was launched early to meet increased demand for mental health assistance, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, especially among the isolated and people living alone Today’s developmental workshop focused on tracking users’ experience to aid their successful progress through the App’s many facets, including mood logging, gratitude diaries, goal setting, mindfulness and meditation, self-compassion, physical wellbeing, nutrition and sleep. It also discussed the possibility of adopting the World Health Organisation’s wellbeing scale on suicide prevention. Learn more about ChatPal here: www.youtube.com/watch