Can digital technologies provide opportunities to support people’s mental health following a traumatic event?

Start Date

22 October 2020

End Date

6 April 2025

Project Participants

Insurance Australia Group (IAG), Macquarie University

Tags: behaviour change, consumer engagement, conversational agents, mental health, prevention, recovery and rehabilitation

Opportunity

Psychological distress frequently develops following traumatic injury and may be worsened by the complexity of compensation processes. There is growing interest in whether digital technologies can deliver scalable support that promotes recovery and helps prevent the development of more serious mental health conditions.

This project aimed to identify and trial digital technologies to better support Australians living with a mental health condition following a traumatic event.

Project Objectives

This project set out to:

identify existing mental illness prevention strategies that were appropriate for digital delivery
investigate the use of digital technologies to deliver interventions that could mediate risk factors following a traumatic event and/or enhance the development of protective factors (eg improve resilience and coping skills)
pilot appropriate prevention strategies and interventions with people who have sustained a traumatic injury at work and subsequently made a claim for compensation.

Publications

ThesisPublished 4th December 2025An embodied conversational agent to support emotion regulation post-injury
Full Publication
Conference Abstract or PresentationPublished 14th June 2025Understanding Barriers and Facilitators to Delivering Early Digital Mental Health Support Following Traumatic Injury
Full Publication
Refereed Journal ArticlePublished 26th August 2024A staged approach to the development of an embodied conversational agent to support wellbeing after injury
Full Publication
Written Conference PaperPublished 10th April 2024An Embodied Conversational Agent to Support Wellbeing After Injury: Insights from a Stakeholder Inclusive Design Approach
Full Publication
Refereed Journal ArticlePublished 29th May 2023A Digital Coach to Promote Emotion Regulation Skills
Full Publication

Final Outcomes

The project developed and evaluated an embodied conversational agent designed to support emotion regulation following injury. Through multiple studies, researchers explored usability, engagement, implementation challenges and early effectiveness of this intervention. The findings provide practical insights for compensation schemes, insurers and digital health developers seeking scalable approaches to early psychological support. The project also supported the successful completion of a PhD program.

Impact and Benefits

The project strengthened understanding of how digital technologies can safely support mental wellbeing after injury. The intervention developed and research undertaken provides a foundation for future digital mental health interventions aimed at improving recovery outcomes and reducing longer-term disability.

Media Appearances

Integrity, Excellence,
Teamwork and Authenticity

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