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Deploying a Mental Health Chatbot in Higher Education: The Development and Evaluation of Luna, an AI-Based Mental Health Support System

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Rising mental health challenges among postsecondary students have increased the demand for scalable, ethical solutions. This paper presents the design, development, and safety evaluation of Luna, a GPT-4-based mental health chatbot. Built using a modular PHP architecture, Luna integrates multi-layered prompt engineering, safety guardrails, and referral logic. The Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the University of Detroit Mercy (Protocol #23-24-38) reviewed the proposed study and deferred full human subject approval, requesting technical validation prior to deployment. In response, we conducted a pilot test with a variety of users—including clinicians and students who simulated at-risk student scenarios. Results indicated that 96% of expert interactions were deemed safe, and 90.4% of prompts were considered useful. This paper describes Luna’s architecture, prompt strategy, and expert feedback, concluding with recommendations for future human research trials.

Source: Computers

DOI: 10.3390/computers14060227

Authors: Phillip Olla, Ashlee Barnes, Lauren Elliott, Mustafa Abumeeiz, Venus Olla, Joseph Tan

Institutions: University of Detroit Mercy, Western University, University of Windsor, McMaster University

Language: English

Topic: Digital Mental Health Interventions

Subfield: Applied Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,172