A socially assistive robot to support mental wellbeing in LGBTQ+ young people at risk of self-harm: a randomized controlled trial

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LGBTQ+ youth face increased risks of poor mental health, including higher rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicidality compared to their peers.
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Barriers to treatment for LGBTQ+ youth include fears of stigma, negative provider responses, and a lack of access to traditional mental health services.
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Socially assistive robots, like Purrble, offer innovative support for emotion regulation through intuitive, self-directed interactions in real-world settings.
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The study evaluated the efficacy of Purrble combined with safety planning in improving emotion regulation and reducing mental health symptoms in LGBTQ+ youth.
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No randomized controlled trials have previously assessed the efficacy of the Purrble intervention for LGBTQ+ youth at risk of self-harm.

Nature Medicine

by A. Jess Williams, C. Aubrey Rhodes, Seonaid Cleare, Rohan Borschmann, James J. Gross, Kate Petrova, Lauren Posada, Christopher R. Tench, Amelia Chapman-Nisar, Lucy Martin, Chris Hollis, Ellen Townsend, Petr Slovak
June 4, 2026

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