MindScape Study: Integrating LLM and Behavioral Sensing for Personalized AI-Driven Journaling Experiences

Mental health concerns are prevalent among college students, highlighting the need for effective interventions that promote self-awareness and holistic well-being. MindScape pioneers a novel approach to AI-powered journaling by integrating passively collected behavioral patterns such as conversation...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Nepal, Subigya, Pillai, Arvind, Campbell, William, Massachi, Talie, Heinz, Michael, Kunwar, Ashmita, Choi, Eunsol Soul, Xu, Xuhai "Orson", Kuc, Joanna, Huckins, Jeremy, Holden, Jason, Preum, Sarah M., Depp, Colin, Jacobson, Nicholas, Czerwinski, Mary, Granholm, Eric, Campbell, Andrew
Other Authors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: ACM 2024
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/157901
Description
Summary:Mental health concerns are prevalent among college students, highlighting the need for effective interventions that promote self-awareness and holistic well-being. MindScape pioneers a novel approach to AI-powered journaling by integrating passively collected behavioral patterns such as conversational engagement, sleep, and location with Large Language Models (LLMs). This integration creates a highly personalized and context-aware journaling experience, enhancing self-awareness and well-being by embedding behavioral intelligence into AI. We present an 8-week exploratory study with 20 college students, demonstrating the MindScape app's efficacy in enhancing positive affect (7%), reducing negative affect (11%), loneliness (6%), and anxiety and depression, with a significant week-over-week decrease in PHQ-4 scores (-0.25 coefficient), alongside improvements in mindfulness (7%) and self-reflection (6%). The study highlights the advantages of contextual AI journaling, with participants particularly appreciating the tailored prompts and insights provided by the MindScape app. Our analysis also includes a comparison of responses to AI-driven contextual versus generic prompts, participant feedback insights, and proposed strategies for leveraging contextual AI journaling to improve well-being on college campuses. By showcasing the potential of contextual AI journaling to support mental health, we provide a foundation for further investigation into the effects of contextual AI journaling on mental health and well-being.