Improving Immigrant Mental Health with an AI-driven Mobile App

Mental health conditions among low-income immigrants in the United States are likely triggered or worsened by their migration experience. Significant barriers to accessing healthcare services among this population may further contribute to the persistence of poor mental health. Identifying practical, easily deployable, and cost-effective strategies to support their well-being is crucial for shaping effective policy. This pilot will provide evidence of the effects of providing access to an AI-based mental health app to 2,100 low-income Hispanic immigrants. The app offers a chatbot to deliver psychological support based on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques. As part of this pilot project, we will measure (i) participants’ mental well-being, (ii) uptake and response to financial incentives to app use, (iii) effectiveness in improving mental health outcomes over time, and (iv) participants’ willingness to pay (WTP) for the service. We will also seek to obtain preliminary estimates of the causal effects of app use on labor market outcomes, remittances, and other investment behaviors. We will use this pilot to design and implement a larger RCT on this topic in collaboration with an NGO that works with low-income Spanish-speaking immigrants.