Supporting Mental Health in Regional and Rural Communities: Developing and Testing SOLAR-R apps

SOLAR-R+ is a digital adaptation of the Skills fOr Life Adjustment and Resilience (SOLAR) program, tailored for adults living in regional, rural, and remote Australian communities. The program is a brief, trauma-focused, skills-based, psychosocial intervention. Participants gain access to the app by scanning a QR code provided on study recruitment materials, which directs them to download the application to a compatible iOS or Android smartphone. The program comprises eight modules which are completed during the five-week intervention period. Content includes psychoeducation, skills training, values-based goal setting, emotion regulation strategies, strengthening social connections, managing unhelpful thinking patterns, and planning for continued recovery. Participants are encouraged to apply these skills in their daily lives between modules. The content is delivered through interactive activities, self-reflection exercises, text-based content, audio content, animations, progress-tracking features, and automated notifications. Program content is based on the established SOLAR intervention, while the app design and user experience have been specifically developed and tailored for adults living in regional, rural, and remote Australian communities. Adherence is monitored through module completion rates. In addition to the standard SOLAR module content, SOLAR-R+ incorporates a generative artificial intelligence (AI) assistant embedded within the app. The AI assistant interacts with participants through a text-based chat interface. Participants can access the AI assistant through a dedicated chat function available from the app home screen to ask general questions about SOLAR content and activities. The AI assistant is also integrated within every module, where it offers support with module activities. The AI assistant is designed to enhance engagement with the program by providing tailored responses based on participant inputs, supporting goal setting and problem solving, facilitating skills practice, and assisting users to navigate app content and activities. Generated responses are grounded in SOLAR program content through retrieval-augmented generation methods. The AI assistant does not provide clinical care and is intended to support participant engagement with, and application of, SOLAR program content.