Chinese University researchers have launched a mobile app to provide Cantonese psychological support for parents whose children have special educational needs (SEN).

The university interviewed about 270 parents of SEN students in April, and found that over 30 percent of them have moderate anxiety or depression.

But researchers say they don’t always have time to meet with counsellors, and an app will therefore come in handy.

Professor Connie Chong, who designed the Pai.ACT app, said unlike traditional mental health applications that simply provide users with information, this artificial intelligence chatbot is trained to imitate counsellors in providing psychological support for parents.

We could allow a kind of a channel that provides an empathetic communication… Parents can directly chat with the Pai.ACT in Cantonese," she said.

Chong noted that the mobile app is equipped with a system to gauge users’ emotional health, and it can arrange for those who need further assistance to undergo an online consultation with a real counsellor.