From Stigma to Support: Improving Mental Well-Being Engagement Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women Through an Artificially Intelligent Chatbot, Bol Behen, in India
1
Programmes, Girl Effect, Gurugram, India
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A2615
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in India face intersecting stressors related to family expectations, relationships, sexuality, education, and financial insecurity. Formative research conducted by Girl Effect in early 2024 found that while girls aged 18–24 could recognize symptoms such as anxiety, overthinking, and emotional distress, they lacked the language, social permission, and accessible pathways to seek mental well-being support. Mental health was often stigmatized, normalized, or deprioritized unless reaching crisis levels. In response, Girl Effect sought to embed mental well-being support within an already trusted digital ecosystem rather than positioning it as a standalone intervention.
METHODS:
In 2024, Girl Effect partnered with Wysa, an AI-enabled mental well-being chatbot, to integrate evidence-based tools into Bol Behen, a Hindi, English, and Hinglish chatbot serving girls aged 18–24. Using a formative research–led design approach, Wysa’s tools were adapted linguistically and contextually, reframed from clinical terminology to everyday stressors, and embedded within existing sexual and reproductive health journeys. The integration was piloted in Hinglish and subsequently scaled across Hindi and English, alongside a targeted digital marketing campaign. Engagement metrics, tool uptake, and completion rates were used to assess effectiveness.
RESULTS:
The integration demonstrated strong validation of the approach. While Wysa’s global benchmark for tool completion is 30%, Bol Behen users achieved a 44% completion rate, indicating higher engagement and relevance. Additionally, 35% of onboarded users engaged with mental well-being journeys, exceeding initial targets and previous Girl Effect benchmarks.
CONCLUSIONS:
By embedding mental well-being support within journeys girls already trusted, this initiative avoided framing mental health as a standalone or clinical service. Findings highlight the value of formative research, language localization, and contextual framing in improving engagement and access to mental well-being support among AGYW. This model offers a scalable pathway for addressing mental well-being needs in low-resource settings.
Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in India face intersecting stressors related to family expectations, relationships, sexuality, education, and financial insecurity. Formative research conducted by Girl Effect in early 2024 found that while girls aged 18–24 could recognize symptoms such as anxiety, overthinking, and emotional distress, they lacked the language, social permission, and accessible pathways to seek mental well-being support. Mental health was often stigmatized, normalized, or deprioritized unless reaching crisis levels. In response, Girl Effect sought to embed mental well-being support within an already trusted digital ecosystem rather than positioning it as a standalone intervention.
METHODS:
In 2024, Girl Effect partnered with Wysa, an AI-enabled mental well-being chatbot, to integrate evidence-based tools into Bol Behen, a Hindi, English, and Hinglish chatbot serving girls aged 18–24. Using a formative research–led design approach, Wysa’s tools were adapted linguistically and contextually, reframed from clinical terminology to everyday stressors, and embedded within existing sexual and reproductive health journeys. The integration was piloted in Hinglish and subsequently scaled across Hindi and English, alongside a targeted digital marketing campaign. Engagement metrics, tool uptake, and completion rates were used to assess effectiveness.
RESULTS:
The integration demonstrated strong validation of the approach. While Wysa’s global benchmark for tool completion is 30%, Bol Behen users achieved a 44% completion rate, indicating higher engagement and relevance. Additionally, 35% of onboarded users engaged with mental well-being journeys, exceeding initial targets and previous Girl Effect benchmarks.
CONCLUSIONS:
By embedding mental well-being support within journeys girls already trusted, this initiative avoided framing mental health as a standalone or clinical service. Findings highlight the value of formative research, language localization, and contextual framing in improving engagement and access to mental well-being support among AGYW. This model offers a scalable pathway for addressing mental well-being needs in low-resource settings.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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