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@article{178443,
        author = {Rishbha Singh and Shubha Acharya and Preeti Guragol and Rekha B N},
        title = {From Conversation to Care: Deploying a Rule-based Chatbot for Early-stage Emotional Health Interventions},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2025},
        volume = {11},
        number = {12},
        pages = {3490-3495},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=178443},
        abstract = {Worldwide mental health problems show an increasing trend yet numerous people encounter obstacles while seeking needed support. Most people refrain from seeking help due to negative public perceptions combined with heavy costs and scarce treatment options. The online platform MindEase utilizes a smart chatbot to deliver initial help for emotional welfare in a digital environment. This platform operates alongside professional help by introducing users to mental health discovery through its provided journaling guidance and mindfulness training, and conversational assessment capabilities with its context-aware virtual assistant. The platform uses an environment that promotes judgment-free interaction and invites users to share their thoughts authentically as they discover different feelings in an online haven. The platform has three main components, which include an artificially-responsive chatbot together with a basic mental health status assessment tool, and an easy emergency help contact function. These mental health management tools enable users to access them anytime and anywhere, which supports their autonomy to monitor their well-being. Tests proved that MindEase provides users with secure ways to express feelings, which leads to deeper self-awareness while enhancing their mental health knowledge. This system acts as an essential barrier reduction tool to encourage individuals toward professional healthcare. The platform will benefit from future development which combines sentiment analysis with adaptive coping strategies that adapt to individual user requirements. The platform will continue to add features which increase its capabilities to deliver customized, effective support services to users who struggle to access traditional mental healthcare.},
        keywords = {crisis support, early intervention, emotional support, mental health, rule-based chatbots},
        month = {May},
        }