Dalhousie University

Known by the Machine: Building Relational Presence with AI NPCs for Stigma-Free Mental Health Literacy

Known by the Machine: Building Relational Presence with AI NPCs for Stigma-Free Mental Health Literacy in Games SORAYA S. ANVARI,Dalhousie University, Canada SANDRA MEIER, Dalhousie University, Canada RINA R. WEHBE, Dalhousie University, Canada Mental Health (MH) remains a global priority, yet low literacy and stigma frequently…

• AI-driven NPC interaction significantly improves Mental Health Literacy (MHL), with 91% of participants showing gains through a system that provides lightweight, adaptive support rather than rigid, front-loaded personalization.
• Conversational memory in AI NPCs functions primarily as a relational design feature that fosters a sense of social presence and companionship, though it does not statistically alter the rate of MHL improvement.
• Participants demonstrated a shift from passive information intake to active knowledge-seeking, evidenced by a decline in AI hint requests from 0.53 hints/item in Session 2 to 0.34 hints/item by Session 4 as self-confidence grew.