A LLM-Based Chatbot for Mindfulness Practice with Older Adults: A Development and Usability Study.
Lucy McCarren, Sanna Kuoppamäki
Studies in health technology and informatics May 15, 2025 DOI: 10.3233/SHTI250493 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 15 |
| Population | Older adults |
| Interventions | Mindfulness app with recorded human guidance AI mindfulness coach |
| Duration | Three weeks |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Ai in healthcare Chatgpt Chatbot Large language models Digital health Mental health Older adults Wellness |
| Key findings | Qualitative feedback from older adults using a mindfulness app identified key design themes—voice, personality, interactivity, and ease of use—that informed the development of a prototype AI mindfulness coach. |
Abstract
This study explores the development and usability of a Large Language Model (LLM)-based chatbot designed to support mindfulness practice for older adults. In a pre-study, 15 older adults used a commercially available mindfulness app with recorded human guidance for three weeks. Qualitative feedback revealed key design themes including voice, personality, interactivity, and ease of use. Building on the findings of the pre-study, we developed a prototype AI mindfulness coach by fine-tuning OpenAI's ChatGPT on a custom dataset of mindfulness scripts. The AI coach was evaluated through participatory design workshops.