Online parenting training programs have shown to be effective. However, no studies on parent training programs delivered through chatbots have been reported yet. Aim. This study aims to assess the feasibility of delivering parenting skills through a chatbot. Methods. A sample of 33 parents completed a pilot feasibility study. Engagement, knowledge, net-promoters score and qualitative responses were analyzed. Results. A total of 78.8% of the sample completed the intervention. On average, participants remembered 3.7 skills out of the 5 presented and reported that they would recommend the chatbot to other parents (net promoter score was 7.44; SD = 2.31 out of 10). Overall, parents sent a mean of 54.24 (SD = 13.5) messages to the chatbot, and the mean number of words per message was 3. Main themes parents discussed with the chatbot included issues regarding their child’s habits, handling disruptive behaviors, interpersonal development, and emotional difficulties. Parents generally commented on the usefulness of the intervention and suggested improvements to the chatbot’s communication style. Conclusions. Overall, users completed the intervention, engaged with the bot, and would recommend the intervention to others. This suggests parenting skills could be delivered via chatbots.

BackgroundThe use of chatbots to address mental health conditions have become increasingly popular in recent years. However, few studies aimed to teach parenting skills through chatbots, and there are no reports on parental user experience. Aim: This study aimed to assess the user experience of a parenting chatbot micro intervention to teach how to praise children in a Spanish-speaking country.MethodsA sample of 89 parents were assigned to the chatbot micro intervention as part of a randomized controlled trial study. Completion rates, engagement, satisfaction, net promoter score, and acceptability were analyzed.Results66.3% of the participants completed the intervention. Participants exchanged an average of 49.8 messages (SD = 1.53), provided an average satisfaction score of 4.19 (SD = .79), and reported that they would recommend the chatbot to other parents (net promoter score = 4.63/5; SD = .66). Acceptability level was high (ease of use = 4.66 [SD = .73]; comfortability = 4.76 [SD = .46]; lack of technical problems = 4.69 [SD = .59]; interactivity = 4.51 [SD = .77]; usefulness for everyday life = 4.75 [SD = .54]).ConclusionsOverall, users completed the intervention at a high rate, engaged with the chatbot, were satisfied, would recommend it to others, and reported a high level of acceptability. Chatbots have the potential to teach parenting skills however research on the efficacy of parenting chatbot interventions is needed.

IntroductionMental health issues have been on the rise among children and adolescents, and digital parenting programs have shown promising outcomes. However, there is limited research on the potential efficacy of utilizing chatbots to promote parental skills. This study aimed to understand whether parents learn from a parenting chatbot micro intervention, to assess the overall efficacy of the intervention, and to explore the user characteristics of the participants, including parental busyness, assumptions about parenting, and qualitative engagement with the chatbot.MethodsA sample of 170 parents with at least one child between 2–11 years old were recruited. A randomized control trial was conducted. Participants in the experimental group accessed a 15-min intervention that taught how to utilize positive attention and praise to promote positive behaviors in their children, while the control group remained on a waiting list.ResultsResults showed that participants engaged with a brief AI-based chatbot intervention and were able to learn effective praising skills. Although scores moved in the expected direction, there were no significant differences by condition in the praising knowledge reported by parents, perceived changes in disruptive behaviors, or parenting self-efficacy, from pre-intervention to 24-hour follow-up.DiscussionThe results provided insight to understand how parents engaged with the chatbot and suggests that, in general, brief, self-guided, digital interventions can promote learning in parents. It is possible that a higher dose of intervention may be needed to obtain a therapeutic change in parents. Further research implications on chatbots for parenting skills are discussed.