UK’S first automated mental health robot launched in Employee Assistance Programme

UK’S first automated mental health robot launched in Employee Assistance Programme

People with access to the Care first Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) will now get the chance to talk to an automated “Woebot®” for the first time.

Care first has teamed up with the American-made Woebot to provide employees with round-the-clock access to this mental health chat service. The wellbeing and counselling provider is the first in the UK to include Woebut in its EAP – which also includes phone and face-to-face counselling.

Woebot uses cognitive behavioural technology (CBT) to check in to the caller’s mood, before helping them ‘reframe’ negative thoughts with the aim of improving them. The idea is to provide a daily stimulus to help people think more positively, by supplying them with techniques that could help.

Woebot is currently used in more than 130 countries. The automated service is also trained to spot “crisis” language, which Care first says will then trigger the user to be directed to a counsellor accredited and employed by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

Eugene Farrell, chair of UK EAPA, says Woebot is an interesting new development on the EAP scene.

“It will be fascinating to see how Woebot is used amongst staff who have access to this EAP provider,” he says. “Research shows that people are more likely to access mental health services in situations where they don’t feel vulnerable. An automated robot may be a less intimidating service to talk to than a person. The use of Woebot worldwide has also shown that it is particularly well used by male professionals aged between 25 to 34 – a group where we have traditionally not seen a great take-up of counselling services. It’s great that technology can step in and provide a safe environment which is clearly helping millions of people already.

“I hope that Woebot will prove to be a great addition to EAP services where it is being implemented. Whatever gets people to open up and talk about their mental health is a great boost in any workplace.”