Abstract
The global mental health crisis, exacerbated by professional shortages and post-pandemic challenges, calls for scalable and accessible solutions. This paper presents Cora, a generative AI-powered conversational assistant designed to augment mental health care by extending therapeutic engagement beyond clinical sessions. Built using a multi-layered architecture, integrating empathetic large language models, sentiment-aware APIs, and voice-first mobile user experience, Cora delivers emotionally intelligent, personalized support. A formative mixed-methods study involving 31 participants, including users and therapists, guided the iterative development process. Key design principles that emerged include continuity of care, empathetic conversation, clinic-specific customization, and deep personalization. Cora is not a replacement for therapists but a digital ally that reinforces treatment plans and fosters emotional reflection. Early evaluations indicate promising engagement and usability outcomes. With further validation and ethical oversight, Cora offers a responsible, scalable pathway to support hybrid human-AI mental health care ecosystems.
Recommended Citation
Munshi, Archisman and Ray, Arindam, "Bridging the Mental Health Gap: A Generative AI Based Conversational Assistant for Scalable Psychological Support" (2025). Proceedings of the 2025 Pre-ICIS SIGDSA Symposium. 49.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/sigdsa2025/49