A multilingual mobile application for digital mental health support, emotional tracking, and therapist interaction

Introduction Depression and other mental health challenges can affect daily functioning and well-being, while social stigma and limited access to culturally appropriate digital resources may discourage individuals from seeking support. This study presents REWAA, a bilingual mobile application designed to support emotional self-tracking, access to mental health resources, and interaction with mental health professionals in Arabic and English. Methods REWAA was developed as an Android application with separate patient and therapist interfaces. Its features include mood self-tracking, an exploratory AI-based facial-analysis tool, the Bilingual Hybrid Mood Heuristic (BHMH) protocol, an AI-supported conversational tool, mental wellness resources, peer support groups, and therapist communication. The application was evaluated through a user survey involving 200 respondents to assess usability, perceived usefulness, emotional awareness, privacy, and user acceptance. Results Survey responses indicated generally positive perceptions of REWAA. Most respondents rated the graphical user interface as comfortable and easy to navigate (70%), while 60% reported that the REWAA bot helped them better understand their feelings and provided practical advice. In addition, 55% reported a significant improvement in emotional awareness, and 65% considered the application useful alongside professional therapy. Overall, the findings indicate positive user perceptions of the application's accessibility and integrated support features. Discussion REWAA demonstrates the potential of a bilingual digital platform to bring emotional self-tracking, supportive resources, and therapist interaction together in one application. However, the findings primarily reflect user-reported usability and acceptance and do not establish clinical diagnostic accuracy or therapeutic effectiveness. Further evaluation involving appropriate clinical validation and longitudinal follow-up is needed to assess its effectiveness and reliability in real-world mental health settings.