Jaidee Chatbot — a 24-hour digital friend for adolescents’ mental well-being

We use both usage figures and activity surveys to assess whether the Jaidee Chatbot meets teenagers’ needs. The survey responses show that students like reading their peers’ experiences and feel that someone listens without judging. UpdateSurvey of 8,703 students: Schoolwork is their biggest source of stress, and nearly 8 in 10 are willing to share their experiences to help friends

• Cumulative usage includes ~52,588 mood check-ins and 22,000 user-donated experiences, both published and unpublished. 86 % said that experiences they read on Jaidee helped them. This Project
• In a survey of 8,703 students, 35% said they most liked reading their peers’ experiences, and 41.7% were most willing to share their own experiences to help people facing similar problems. UpdateSurvey of 8,703 students: Schoolwork is their biggest source of stress, and nearly 8 in 10 are willing to share their experiences to help friends
• Activities were held at 44 schools, with 17,714 students participating via the website and 212 teachers helping to run the activities. UpdateBringing the Jaidee Chatbot to 44 schools nationwide, reaching more than 17,700 students

The survey figures are self-reported data from students who took part in the activities, not from a random sample representative of all students in Thailand. They therefore indicate the feedback of participants, not the views of all teenagers. UpdateSurvey of 8,703 students: Schoolwork is their biggest source of stress, and nearly 8 in 10 are willing to share their experiences to help friends

We designed the Jaidee Chatbot as a safe space where teenagers can check in with their emotions, express their feelings, read experiences shared by peers and find support. Teachers and youth workers can also access a free online learning course. This Project

• When expanding activities into schools, we can either deliver sessions in person or train teachers to run the activities themselves at a time that suits the school. We also advise teachers via video calls and messages. UpdateDesigning two pathways into schools: the team delivers 3 days of in-person teaching or trains teachers to teach flexibly
• Lessons from working with 44 schools include that internet connections may slow down when many people use them at the same time, teachers may transfer or may not yet be familiar with the activities, and some schools may not have enough equipment. UpdateInternet outage in the auditorium, teachers transferred mid-way: Lessons from scaling to 44 schools and how the team responded
• We therefore adapted our approach so teachers can train individually and repeat the training, students can access the chatbot via a link or QR code, and activities can be done in groups or continued as homework when equipment is limited. UpdateInternet outage in the auditorium, teachers transferred mid-way: Lessons from scaling to 44 schools and how the team responded
• Schools can also incorporate the activities into guidance, computer or homeroom classes, depending on their context. UpdateFrom grade-level meeting periods to computer lessons: 6 schools adapt Jaidee Chatbot activities to their own contexts

We have brought activities to 44 schools, from large urban schools to small and remote schools, and found that each has different levels of readiness in terms of internet access, equipment, facilities and the number of teachers. UpdateBringing the Jaidee Chatbot to 44 schools nationwide, reaching more than 17,700 students UpdateInternet outage in the auditorium, teachers transferred mid-way: Lessons from scaling to 44 schools and how the team responded

• Large schools or provincial schools with suitable equipment and facilities can use a format in which a team visits to deliver lessons in person for 3 days, serving 100-200 students per day. UpdateDesigning two pathways into schools: the team delivers 3 days of in-person teaching or trains teachers to teach flexibly
• Medium-sized and small schools, schools offering expanded educational opportunities, and remote schools that lack teachers or teaching materials can use a format in which teachers are trained to understand the activities and then run them with students themselves. The activities can be integrated into other subjects or assigned as homework. UpdateDesigning two pathways into schools: the team delivers 3 days of in-person teaching or trains teachers to teach flexibly
• Work begins by coordinating with the school director and referring the programme to the teachers responsible. Materials are prepared for online and offline use, as well as in-person teaching. UpdateDesigning two pathways into schools: the team delivers 3 days of in-person teaching or trains teachers to teach flexibly
• If internet access or equipment is inadequate, children can take turns accessing the programme, work in groups sharing equipment, or continue at home. A guide is also provided for teachers to review the steps. UpdateInternet outage in the auditorium, teachers transferred mid-way: Lessons from scaling to 44 schools and how the team responded

Jaidee Chatbot offers tools that teenagers can use directly, as well as resources for teachers and youth workers to use in activities. This Project

• Teenagers can check in with one of 15 mood states, then talk or express their feelings. If the system detects words indicating a crisis, it immediately displays a helpline. This Project
• Users can choose to read experiences shared by their peers or contribute their own stories; identifying information is removed before publication. Child and youth workers, researchers and the general public can search and filter the anonymised data. This Project
• Teachers and youth workers can access free courses without registering, including a 10-module course on responding to online bullying. This Project
• For school activities, resources are available for both online and offline use. Teachers can use them in class at a flexible time, integrate them with other subjects or assign them as homework. UpdateDesigning two pathways into schools: the team delivers 3 days of in-person teaching or trains teachers to teach flexibly
• When there is limited internet access or not enough devices, students can use a link or QR code, take turns using devices or do the activities in groups. UpdateInternet outage in the auditorium, teachers transferred mid-way: Lessons from scaling to 44 schools and how the team responded

We connect adolescent stress and mental health concerns with spaces to be heard, teacher learning and channels for referrals to support. The issues covered by the chatbot also include school, family, relationships, finances, bullying and sexuality. This Project This approach aligns with a view of children’s and young people’s well-being that encompasses the physical, mental, social and intellectual dimensions, as well as mobilising collaboration through schools, teachers, health personnel and funders. IssueChildren, Youth and Well-being

• Adolescents contribute experiences that have been screened and stripped of identifying information, for other users to read. The AI system helps categorise and screen stories before publication, while the CF team makes the final decision. This Project UpdateRedesigning the experience-from-friends page as an easy-to-search feed, with AI helping the team screen content before publication
• The work has a referral network that includes the Department of Mental Health’s 1323 hotline, Samaritans Thailand, the Alljit app, the Sati app, Stand By You and Lovecarestation. This Project
• Activities in schools involve the team, teachers and materials adapted to each school’s readiness. UpdateDesigning two pathways into schools: the team delivers 3 days of in-person teaching or trains teachers to teach flexibly

We have not recorded what additional types of collaboration we are seeking or whether there is a specific form of support currently open to partners.