Woebot Health Adds COVID-19 Support Through its Mobile Health Chatbot
Users gain emotional well-being, comfort, reassurance in the global pandemic
SAN FRANCISCO, April 07, 2020 − With increased anxiety caused by the Coronavirus, Woebot Health is offering expanded global emotional support through its free emotional support platform, Woebot. The company’s goal is to lift spirits and help people feel grounded during this unprecedented anxiety-provoking time. Woebot Health has launched its COVID-19 offering, called Perspectives. The company has also launched a standalone web tool to widen the reach and accessibility of its ongoing mental health support.
In typical Woebot fashion, Perspectives is whimsical, hopeful, warm, and authentic. Throughout the program, users can look forward to more guided meditations, as well as practical tips like ideas for staving off cabin fever and connecting with others while social distancing. Woebot has also added themes to deal with grief and economic hardship. Although Woebot’s conversations have been typically focused on mood regulation and mindfulness exercises based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), the new support adds tools from an evidence-based approach called Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) that helps to process loss and role transition.
“There has never been a more important time to provide free, immediate, and accessible mental health care,” said Woebot Health Founder & President, Dr. Alison Darcy. “Woebot is designed to provide ongoing coaching to help people manage their emotional health with practical tools that work for our day-to-day lives. We are humbled and honored to serve people in the Coronavirus outbreak, to help ease emotional suffering, and try to bring a little perspective and hope.”
In addition to serving English-speaking markets, Woebot’s new web tool is also being translated into Italian, to serve its citizens in one of the most hard-hit nations in the Coronavirus outbreak. Woebot’s use of AI engages users in friendly, thoughtful conversations and equips them with techniques to address challenging life events. Woebot can also intelligently personalize conversations and point out fluctuations of one’s mood over time.
In the last few months, Woebot has seen tremendous growth in more than 130 countries around the world. It was the first mental health chatbot to demonstrate significant reductions in symptoms of mood-based disorders. Woebot Health adheres to the highest standard of privacy and confidentiality to protect sensitive user data.
About Woebot Health
Woebot Health, formerly Woebot Labs, was founded in 2017 to help people experiencing mental health concerns or conditions to achieve better outcomes. The company works with government entities, healthcare providers and employers to provide a full suite of clinically-validated interventions, from its flagship wellness app Woebot to clinical-grade solutions and condition-specific content. Headquartered in San Francisco, Woebot Health is funded in part by venture capital firms New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and Jazz Venture Partners, L.P., with participation from Andrew Ng’s AI Fund. For more information, please visit Woebot Health or follow Woebot on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
