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Cited by 21Digital Mental Health InterventionsInnovative Human-Technology InteractionMental Health via Writing

Exploring the Effects of AI-assisted Emotional Support Processes in Online Mental Health Community

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Shin, Donghoon, Park, Subeen, Kim, Esther Hehsun, Kim, Soomin, Seo, Jinwook, Hong, Hwajung·2022·CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Extended Abstracts
DOI 10.1145/3491101.3519854
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Abstract

Social support in online mental health communities (OMHCs) is an effective and accessible way of managing mental wellbeing. In this process, sharing emotional supports is considered crucial to the thriving social supports in OMHCs, yet often difficult for both seekers and providers. To support empathetic interactions, we design an AI-infused workflow that allows users to write emotional supporting messages to other users’ posts based on the elicitation of the seeker’s emotion and contextual keywords from writing. Based on a preliminary user study (N = 10), we identified that the system helped seekers to clarify emotion and describe text concretely while writing a post. Providers could also learn how to react empathetically to the post. Based on these results, we suggest design implications for our proposed system.

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  • Theoretical research on Human-AI collaboration frameworks investigates interfaces that modulate AI support as a mechanism for humans to exert control over AI initiative in complex tasks.

    “This gap is noteworthy given that theoretical research on Human-AI collaboration frameworks, such as [85,86,118] including CSCW research [143], do investigate interfaces that modulate AI support as a mechanism for humans to exert control over AI initiative in complex tasks.”

    From Co-Writing with AI, on Human Terms: Aligning Research with User Demands Across the Writing Process (2025) · cites this paper as [118]

    Section 3.2 (p. 3) describes an AI-assisted interface in which users can add their own keywords and choose a suggested phrase before writing a response, providing some user control over the assistance. The paper presents a system and preliminary user study for emotional support in an online community, not a theoretical Human–AI collaboration framework or an interface that modulates AI initiative across complex tasks. (LLM, conf=0.82)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Shneiderman's HAI framework argues that automation and human control need not be at odds on a unidimensional spectrum.

    “such as Ben Shneiderman's HAI framework, which argues that automation and human control need not be at odds on a unidimensional spectrum [118]”

    From Co-Writing with AI, on Human Terms: Aligning Research with User Demands Across the Writing Process (2025) · cites this paper as [118]

    The AI-mediated Communication section (pp. 2–3) describes AI-assisted interpersonal communication, and the Conclusion (p. 6) describes the paper’s emotional-support system. Neither addresses Shneiderman’s HAI framework or the claim that automation and human control are not opposites on a single spectrum. Searches for those terms and for independent dimensions of automation and human control found no supporting passage. (LLM, conf=0.76)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Shneiderman posits a multidimensional perspective where automation and control can increase concurrently.

    “Instead, Shneiderman posits a multidimensional perspective where automation and control can increase concurrently”

    From Co-Writing with AI, on Human Terms: Aligning Research with User Demands Across the Writing Process (2025) · cites this paper as [118]

    Section 2.2 (pp. 2–3) discusses AI-mediated communication and AI assistance in an online mental health community, but not Shneiderman’s perspective on automation and control. Searches for Shneiderman and for concurrent increases in automation and human control found no passage addressing the claim. (LLM, conf=0.76)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Shin, D., Park, S., Kim, E. H., Kim, S., Seo, J., & Hong, H.
Affiliations
  • Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Seoul National University, Korea, Republic of
  • Seoul National University (KR)
  • Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KR)
ORCID
Venue
CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Extended Abstracts
Publisher
ACM
Published
2022-04-27
Pages
1-7
DOI
10.1145/3491101.3519854
OpenAlex
W4220652374
Cited by
21
References
4
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 1
FWCI
7.67
Type
conference paper
Language
en
Open access
Licence
www.acm.org/publications/policies/copyright_policy#Background (vor)
Locations
  • CHI Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA) (publishedVersion)
  • arXiv (Cornell University) (submittedVersion)
  • arXiv (Cornell University) (cc-by)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Human-Computer Interaction › Innovative Human-Technology Interaction
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health via Writing
Keywords
online mental health communities, social support, empathetic interaction, emotion induction, psychological well-being, user-generated content

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