This article addresses the growing concern about stress and mental health issues, which affect more than 40% of the global population. Access to professional mental health services remains limited for many people due to economic, geographical, and social barriers. In response, this study proposes the development of an Alexa skill designed to provide emotional support and personalized stress management strategies. The skill integrates relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises and mindfulness, combined with positive psychology principles, to offer accessible and effective tools to manage stress. An experimental evaluation comparing traditional methods with the Alexa-based interface revealed a statistically significant improvement in stress reduction (p = 0.041, d = 0.50), along with more consistent outcomes among voice interface users, indicated by substantially lower standard deviations (SD = 0.78 vs SD = 2.52). These findings contribute to the growing body of evidence that supports voice-based interfaces as valuable tools to promote emotional well-being, offering a standardized and accessible alternative to traditional approaches while helping to overcome geographic and economic barriers to mental health support.

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Breathe and Relax: An Alexa-Based Voice Intervention for Stress Reduction and Emotional Well-Being

  • Edgar Gallegos,
  • Daniel Avila,
  • Jerly Reinoso,
  • Graciela Guerrero,
  • Graciela Ortiz

摘要

This article addresses the growing concern about stress and mental health issues, which affect more than 40% of the global population. Access to professional mental health services remains limited for many people due to economic, geographical, and social barriers. In response, this study proposes the development of an Alexa skill designed to provide emotional support and personalized stress management strategies. The skill integrates relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises and mindfulness, combined with positive psychology principles, to offer accessible and effective tools to manage stress. An experimental evaluation comparing traditional methods with the Alexa-based interface revealed a statistically significant improvement in stress reduction (p = 0.041, d = 0.50), along with more consistent outcomes among voice interface users, indicated by substantially lower standard deviations (SD = 0.78 vs SD = 2.52). These findings contribute to the growing body of evidence that supports voice-based interfaces as valuable tools to promote emotional well-being, offering a standardized and accessible alternative to traditional approaches while helping to overcome geographic and economic barriers to mental health support.