Self-disclosure and relational agents for mental health: a scoping review protocol.

Journal: BMJ open
Published Date: Aug 24, 2025

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Relational agents are an innovative form of Artificial Intelligence (AI) that can help address waiting times for mental health services. They often appear in the form of chatbots that provide responses to patient questions via web or mobile interfaces, and they seek to build long-term relationships with patients. Effective self-disclosure is key for therapeutic outcomes, and we are therefore conducting a scoping review to map the literature on self-disclosure to relational agents for mental health.

Authors

  • Sia Sha
    The London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK.
  • Kate Loveys
    Department of Psychological Medicine, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
  • Isla Francis
    Goldsmiths University of London, London, UK.
  • Eric Ji
    The London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK.
  • Leo Lyu
    The London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK.
  • Dario Krpan
    Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK. d.krpan@lse.ac.uk.
  • Matteo Maria Galizzi
    The London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK m.m.galizzi@lse.ac.uk.
  • Mark Taylor
    The Medical Device Research Institute, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia.

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