<oai_dc:dc xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:oai_dc="http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/2.0/oai_dc/" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/2.0/oai_dc/ http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/2.0/oai_dc.xsd">
  <dc:type xml:lang="deu">Text</dc:type>
  <dc:type xml:lang="deu">Masterarbeit</dc:type>
  <dc:contributor>Claudette Pretorius</dc:contributor>
  <dc:contributor>Catarina Delaunay</dc:contributor>
  <dc:subject xml:lang="eng">Mental Health</dc:subject>
  <dc:subject xml:lang="eng">Chatbots</dc:subject>
  <dc:subject xml:lang="eng">Artificial Intelligence</dc:subject>
  <dc:subject xml:lang="eng">Young people</dc:subject>
  <dc:subject xml:lang="eng">Uganda</dc:subject>
  <dc:type xml:lang="eng">Text</dc:type>
  <dc:type xml:lang="eng">Master theses</dc:type>
  <dc:date>2025</dc:date>
  <dc:rights>http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</dc:rights>
  <dc:type xml:lang="ita">Testo</dc:type>
  <dc:type xml:lang="ita">Tesi di master</dc:type>
  <dc:description xml:lang="eng">Background: The mental health of young people is of great concern. Chatbots can increase 
access to care and provide timely treatment, especially in Uganda, which has a predominantly 
young population, an under-resourced and underfunded mental healthcare system, and high 
treatment gaps. This study aimed to explore how young Ugandans perceive using mental 
health chatbots to support their mental wellbeing, highlighting the benefits and drawbacks of 
chatbots in this demographic. 

Methods: Using purposive and convenience sampling methods, the study recruited nine 
young adult Ugandans (mean age: 24.7) who were required to use a mental health chatbot 
(Wysa) for two weeks. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed 
thematically. The data was coded using both an inductive and deductive approach. 

Results: Twelve major themes emerged from participant interviews and were categorized 
using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Under Perceived Usefulness, participants 
identified emotional support and expression, non-judgmental support, affordability and 
accessibility, practical and personalized solutions, limitations beyond early intervention, and 
noted preference for human connection. Perceived Ease of Use included simple language, easy 
interface and navigation, and challenges related to text-based interaction and Limited 
interaction control. Subjective Norm included the influence of credible recommendations and 
use driven by perceived benefits.

Conclusion: Young Ugandans perceive chatbots as beneficial interventions but also highlight 
several barriers and limitations of the technology. The study findings contribute to designing 
and implementing more effective and user-aligned chatbots that meet the unique needs of 
young Ugandans.</dc:description>
  <dc:language>eng</dc:language>
  <dc:creator>Lucy Namakula</dc:creator>
  <dc:title xml:lang="eng">Exploring Ugandan youth perspectives towards using mental health chatbots to support their mental health</dc:title>
  <dc:format>application/pdf</dc:format>
  <dc:identifier>https://door.donau-uni.ac.at/o:5736</dc:identifier>
</oai_dc:dc>