Opportunities, Requirements, and Risks of a Student Mental Health Chatbot: A Qualitative User-Centered, Multi-Method Approach

Mental health challenges among university students are increasing, but stigma and limited access to professional support hinder help seeking. This study explored opportunities, requirements, and risks associated with developing a chatbot-based mental health application tailored to Swiss university students. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with student counselors, administrators, and representatives, as well as a requirements engineering workshop involving key stakeholders. The results showed that a chatbot could reduce stigma, improve accessibility and support vulnerable groups, provided it included easy access, evidence-based content and emergency responses. However, concerns regarding data security, harmful advice, and over-reliance on the chatbot must be acknowledged. These findings highlight the need for ethical safeguards, robust design, and a complementary role for the chatbot within existing support systems to address student mental health effectively.