User trust in mental health web design

🚨 New publication alert. 🔐 We conducted a study with #digitalmentalhealth #users to explore how we can make digital mental health #safer for them. Here are the key findings: ✍️ Communicate #effectiveness findings in #userfriendly way Users were concerned that digital mental health apps might not be effective. Be upfront—no app works for everyone. Translate academic language into simple, digestible insights to help users set realistic expectations and avoid worsening mental health struggles. 🔒 Be transparent about #dataprivacy Users want to know how their data is used, stored, and accessed—without having to dig through lengthy terms & conditions. A simple, clear bullet-point summary goes a long way in building trust. ⚠️ Acknowledge potential #risks No mental health intervention is risk-free. Users have the right to know what could go wrong (i.e., possible side effects). Transparency doesn’t scare users away—it prepares them to deal with potential side effects. All medications have possible side effects, but we still take them because their benefits outweigh their risks. 🛑 Don’t overpromise on #personalization Unlike therapists, algorithms can’t adjust in real-time based on a user’s emotions. A CBT app may suggest an exercise that doesn’t feel right in the moment. Acknowledge this limitation. Overselling personalization does more harm than good—especially when a user feels unheard or misunderstood. 📈 Monitor and manage #symptom #deterioration One of the most common risks in mental health interventions is symptom deterioration. Inform users about it, normalize it, track it, and set predefined thresholds for escalation so you can support users when they experience it. 📝 Assess #suitability before onboarding Many users with severe anxiety told us they were given low-intensity interventions, which left them feeling helpless. A simple suitability assessment before onboarding could prevent this. ⭐ Takeaway: A product built with #safety in mind is a product users can #trust. When users feel #safe, they’re more likely to engage, benefit, and keep using your product.

Designing for Mental Health: UX That Heals, Not Just Converts Designing for mental health? You're not just crafting UI You’re shaping someone’s first step toward healing The Challenge: Support ≠ quick fixes. It means: ✅ Hope ✅ Safety ✅ Clarity Your product should feel safe, not clinical. UX That Respects the Human Behind the Screen: Key principles to build trust: — Respect vulnerability — Avoid assumptions — Don’t overwhelm — Scale support gently UX Patterns That Truly Help: ✔ Allow anonymity ✔ Don’t force users to retell trauma ✔ Offer multiple outreach options ✔ Show clear timelines ✔ Prioritize human support over bots Your product might be someone’s first lifeline. Let it be: ✨ Kind ✨ Clear ✨ Human ✨ Hopeful Because great UX here doesn’t just convert - it saves lives.

6 principles I learned to prioritise when designing for mental health: ✅ Be mindful of the most sensitive user. Even if you focus on preventive therapy, you should always consider users who interact with your product at their most vulnerable point. ✅ Guide, don't dictate. Offer clear paths without pretending you know what's best. It takes time to trust you in the same way it takes time to get to know a therapist. ✅ Emphasize clarity over clinical accuracy. Use clear language and simplified information instead of complex statements that may stigmatize and intimidate. Imagine the interaction as a chat with a friend, not a doctor. ✅ Avoid sensory overload. Steer clear of cluttered interfaces and excessive stimuli that may trigger a stressful reaction. Opt for soothing colours and calming tone. ✅ Focus on positive and uplifting design. Reframe negativity: rather than fixating on low scores reflecting how poorly a user may feel, suggest next steps they could make to get better. ✅ Keep design and visuals inclusive. Unless you cater to a specific audience, approach mental health as a spectrum of experiences. Be aware that users may feel excluded if they think your product addresses only highly traumatic scenarios. Anything else I forgot? #uxdesign #mentalhealth #ux

Google’s new ‘Field Guide’ gets one thing right: Mental health AI doesn’t need more hype, it needs more trust. This month, Google, Grand Challenges Canada , and partners dropped a “Field Guide” for AI in mental health care, calling for responsible deployment, data governance, and real clinical alignment. It’s a welcome shift. Because if you’ve actually built for this space, past the pitch decks and prototypes, you already know: AI isn’t hard. Trust is. I’ve spent the last few years integrating AI into EHRs, diagnostics, CBT-inspired interfaces, and provider workflows. And here’s the truth no founder wants to hear: The tech isn’t the bottleneck. The trust is. That means: ✅ Transparent model behavior ✅ Escalation to humans ✅ Auditable pipelines ✅ Cultural & clinical validation ✅ Post-deployment monitoring If your AI gives the wrong nudge during a depressive spiral, that’s not bad UX. That’s a clinical failure. And “HIPAA-compliant” is not a badge—it’s the bare minimum. This is why Google’s guide matters: it doesn’t chase novelty. It calls for governance, oversight, and safety-first design. Here’s my take: We don’t need more AI therapists. We need AI that knows when to call a human. The future of mental health tech isn’t more models. It’s models designed with humility, compliance, and clinician-centered intelligence baked in. Let’s build with guardrails. Let’s earn trust, not clicks. Jitendra Choudhary Chetan Mantri #MentalHealthAI #DigitalHealth #ClinicalAI #HIPAA #AICompliance #TrustByDesign #GoogleFieldGuide #EHRIntegration #FoundersPerspective