Title:

NextStep Health Data Analysis

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, one in four Americans suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year, but many cannot afford treatment. NextStep HealthTech aims to address this issue by utilizing technology to deliver research-based care methods, such as personalized fitness plans and life coaching, with the ultimate goal of improving the physical and mental health of individuals in an affordable way. As part of our efforts, we are developing a mental health chatbot, Sam, which will be integrated into the NextStep app as a deliverable. Sam could be a cheaper alternative to a real-life health coach, and will be able to answer mental health questions, allow users to express their concerns, and provide practical, evidence-based tips for improving their well-being on a more personalized level. The goal of our project is to increase user engagement with the app by the addition of Sam, as increased engagement means an increase in the access to other mental health tools and the increased likelihood of users improving their mental, emotional, and physical health and well-being. To evaluate the effectiveness of Sam, we will be conducting research to answer the question: "Are people happy and engaged with a virtual life coach?" To ensure that our work is reproducible in the future, we will provide the sponsor with data analytics and our code as deliverables. The bot is created using OpenAI's ChatGPT API and has been trained on mental health data provided by NextStep Health, as well as user feedback collected through surveys on Google Forms, which are also deliverables. We used a random sample of UNH students who were asked open-ended user experience questions to gather qualitative feedback on their experience and thought processes. We believe that by improving engagement factors, more users will be attracted to using the app and improving their health with our virtual wellness support, which is both easy to use and affordable.

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