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Enhancing Mental Wellness in Kenyan Adolescents and Young People: Protocol for a Platform Development and Usability
Paul Macharia1,2, Irene Misoi1, Njeri Ngaruiya1
1AHEAD Innovation Hub, Strathmore University, Karen Ole Sangale Rd, off Langata Road, in Madaraka Estate, Nairobi, Nairobi, Nairobi County, Kenya.
Background:
Mental health disorders are a leading cause of disability among adolescents and young people in Kenya, yet access to appropriate and timely support remains severely limited due to shortages of trained professionals, stigma, financial barriers, and geographical inequities. Digital mental health interventions, particularly those leveraging AI, present a promising opportunity to expand access to culturally relevant, low-stigma mental wellness support in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) settings. However, evidence on the feasibility, usability, and acceptability of AI-powered mental health tools for young people in sub-Saharan Africa remains limited.
Objective:
This study aims to co-design, develop, and evaluate "Də'skəs," a social media-based digital platform featuring an AI-powered chatbot, to support mental wellness among adolescents and young people in Kenya. The primary objectives are to assess the feasibility of implementation, usability and user experience, acceptability, and the platform's preliminary applicability across diverse urban, peri-urban, and rural contexts.
Methods:
The study uses a human-centered design (HCD) methodology, conducted in 3 phases: formative research and co-design, platform development and iterative refinement, and implementation with monitoring and evaluation. Adolescents and young people aged 18 to 24 years will be purposively recruited from Kibra (urban), Kikuyu Town (peri-urban), and Nachu (rural). Formative data will be collected through focus group discussions to inform platform design, content, and functionality. During implementation, participants will use the platform for 2 months. Quantitative data will include baseline behavioral health screening using the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs-Short Screener (GAIN-SS) and platform use analytics. Qualitative data will be collected through interviews and feedback sessions to assess usability, user experience, acceptability, and perceived value. Data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic qualitative analysis.
Results:
Field activities for the project started in January 2026. Formative data collection was planned to be completed across the 3 Kenyan study sites by the end of February 2026. Usability and user experience testing was planned to run from March 2026 to June 2026. Findings from the formative work, baseline data, and usability and user experience testing will be reported in subsequent original research publications. The study was funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering, UK in 03/2025 and approved by the Strathmore University Institutional Scientific Ethics Review Committee (SU-ISERC; SU-ISERC 2980/25) approved from November 4, 2026.
Conclusions:
This protocol describes an adolescent-centered, ethically grounded approach to developing and evaluating an AI-enabled digital mental health intervention in an LMIC context. The findings are expected to contribute to the evidence base on the responsible design and implementation of AI-powered mental health tools for adolescents and young people and to inform future scale-up of accessible, culturally relevant digital mental wellness interventions in Kenya and similar settings.
