Promoting Mental Health: The Potential of Social Robots in Schools

The mental health of students is a central component of successful learning and healthy social and emotional development. How can a social robot support this? What tasks and roles can it take on to assist teachers? A research team at Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) is exploring these questions.

Social robots are becoming increasingly prevalent across various sectors, including healthcare, education, hospitality, gastronomy, and households (Bendel, 2021). They interact with humans, and their deployment is not solely focused on performing specific services, but rather on adapting to their environment and building relationships with people (Pijetlovic, 2020).

Social Robots in Healthcare

The potential applications of social robots in healthcare are considered promising, even though there remains a need for further development in terms of technology and targeted integration into existing care structures (Dawe et al., 2019). Social robots have already been deployed and tested internationally in various areas of healthcare and with different target groups. In working with children, they have been used to support emotional coping with illness (e.g., diabetes), to promote well-being during hospital stays, or as a distraction during medical interventions with the aim of reducing stress and anxiety (Cifuentes et al., 2020). Social robots have also been integrated into the therapy of children with autism spectrum disorder, for example as assistants in therapeutic interventions (Cifuentes et al., 2020).

Furthermore, social robots have been involved in the care of older adults. In this context, they function, for example, as companions who act as instructors and motivators for physical activity (Cifuentes et al., 2020). Another example is the service robot “Hobbit,” which autonomously patrols living spaces and ensures that older adults did not suffer a fall or brings them objects they need (Bajones et al., 2018).

Social Robots in Schools

Specifically regarding children and adolescents, it has been shown that social robots can effectively support learning processes by an interactive design. Since children learn most effectively in a social environment, interaction with a social robot can positively influence their cognitive and social development (European School Education Platform, 2022). It is therefore conceivable that robots could be used in the future specifically to promote social skills, provide support for mental health challenges, and strengthen a positive school culture. Social robots can already assume the role of a tutor, teaching assistant, or peer (Bendel, 2021).

However, alongside these mentioned benefits, some limitations are also evident. The “novelty effect” of new technologies can initially lead to increased learning success (Liu et al., 2009), but this effect diminishes once learners have become accustomed to using the technology (van den Berghe et al., 2019). Furthermore, additional technical and conceptual challenges exist: the functionality and robustness of robots must be improved to ensure stable and long-term effective deployment (Cifuentes et al., 2020).

Project SOCIUS – Social Robots in Promoting Children’s Mental Health

Since spring 2024, the Departments of Health and Business at Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH), Bern University of the Arts (HKB), the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), and the Swiss Health Foundation RADIX have been collaborating on the research project SOCIUS. The project’s goal is to understand what roles social robots can assume in a classroom and school setting, and what requirements and potential benefits must be fulfilled in order to conduct a feasibility study in real-world practice. These roles were developed within the specific context of the “MindMatters” program. “MindMatters” is “a scientifically supported and practically tested program for promoting the social-emotional skills of students in cycles I, II, and III, as well as in transitional programs. It is based on the concept of the ‘health-promoting school’ and involves the entire school (setting approach). The program promotes talking about one’s own and others’ feelings, participation, mindfulness and friendship with peers, as well as a sense of belonging to the class and the school” (RADIX Swiss Health Foundation, 2025, p. 1). The research team has therefore developed a theoretical model of robot roles in the context of “MindMatters” for testing and further development.

Robot Role Development

Based on the design thinking principles by Brown (2008), the research team developed different robot roles through an iterative process of five workshops. These roles differ in terms of their deployment scenarios, their level of interactivity, as well as their benefits and limitations. Five robot roles were identified that differ from one another but overlap in certain characteristics, with varying focuses, contexts, or objectives.

The Pre-programmed Robot

The pre-programmed robot executes predefined and pre-programmed tasks. It displays emotions and conveys information, e.g., the class’s reactions to a specific situation or input. Due to its programming, the robot cannot respond spontaneously and flexibly to a situation. Therefore, its deployment is targeted and controlled. A possible limitation may be that users quickly lose interest in this role.

The Tangible Robot

The tangible robot can respond to physical stimuli such as touch through sensors, and change its reaction depending on the intensity of the touch. A simulation of emotional states, e.g., sadness, can be imitated and direct feedback can be generated. The added value of this robot is defined by the fact that sensitive topics, such as what kind of touch is appropriate in which situations, can be addressed more easily through the depersonalization of the robot. The limitation of this robot role is that the complexity of the programming is currently still unclear.

The Interactive Robot

This robot can interact with its environment in a situation-oriented manner, responding spontaneously and in varied ways. It can individually recognize its counterpart through predefined variables (e.g., the child’s hobby) and make reference to them. The advantage of this robot role should be more sustained user interest, as the robot’s reactions are not repetitive. Furthermore, this role should represent a clear relief for teachers, insofar as this robot role can interact without supervision. The complexity of the programming can currently hardly be estimated.

The Remote-Controlled Robot

The remote-controlled robot is operated from a distance, e.g., by a teacher or a child in another room. The focus of this role is the robot as a “body” in, for example, a role-play scenario. Thus, depersonalization takes place, which can contribute to making certain situations easier to address, e.g., a conflict situation. This robot requires supervision, and in the case of child-controlled operation, the child would also need to be supervised by a professional.

“Mirroring an Event”

This robot follows the model of a “puppet theater.” Two robots can act out situations that previously occurred at the school, e.g., a bullying incident or a violent conflict. These scenarios are then depersonalized, pre-programmed, and the robot is controlled by a professional.

The robots assume the roles of the children and communicate in front of the class. In this way, sensitive topics can be addressed.

Next Steps

In the next step, these robot roles will be presented to teachers from “MindMatters” schools in focus groups, discussed, and evaluated for their feasibility and benefits. Concrete scenarios will be developed in which these robot roles can provide support in everyday school life. The aim is to understand what positive changes are possible, how added value can be identified, and what challenges and limitations are seen for each robot role. Based on these results, the follow-up study will be developed.

References

Bajones, M., Fischinger, D., Weiss, A., Wolf, D., Vincze, M., de la Puente, P., Körtner, T., Weninger, M., Papoutsakis, K., Michel, D., Qammaz, A., Panteleris, P., Foukarakis, M., Adami, I., Ioannidi, D., Leonidis, A., Antona, M., Argyros, A., Mayer, P., … Frennert, S. (2018). Hobbit: Providing Fall Detection and Prevention for the Elderly in the Real World. Journal of Robotics, 2018(1), 1754657. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/1754657

Bendel, O. (Hrsg.). (2021). Soziale Roboter: Technikwissenschaftliche, wirtschaftswissenschaftliche, philosophische, psychologische und soziologische Grundlagen. Springer Fachmedien. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-31114-8

Cifuentes, C. A., Pinto, M. J., Céspedes, N., & Múnera, M. (2020). Social Robots in Therapy and Care. Current Robotics Reports, 1(3), 59–74. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43154-020-00009-2

Dawe, J., Sutherland, C., Barco, A., & Broadbent, E. (2019). Can social robots help children in healthcare contexts? A scoping review. BMJ Paediatrics Open, 3(1), e000371. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjpo-2018-000371

European School Education Platform. (2022, Oktober 17). The impact of social robots on children’s development: What science says. European School Education Platform. https://school-education.ec.europa.eu/en/discover/news/impact-social-robots

Liu, S.-H., Liao, H.-L., & Pratt, J. A. (2009). Impact of media richness and flow on e-learning technology acceptance. Computers & Education, 52(3), 599–607. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2008.11.002

Pijetlovic, D. (2020). Das Potential der Pflege-Robotik: Eine systemische Erkundungsforschung. Springer Fachmedien. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-31965-6

RADIX Schweizerische Gesundheitsstiftung. (2025). MindMatters—Mit psychischer Gesundheit Schule entwickeln. https://www.radix.ch/de/gesunde-schulen/angebote/mindmatters/

Tim Brown. (2008). Design Thinking. Harvard Business Review. https://readings.design/PDF/Tim%20Brown,%20Design%20Thinking.pdf

van den Berghe, R., Verhagen, J., Oudgenoeg-Paz, O., van der Ven, S., & Leseman, P. (2019). Social Robots for Language Learning: A Review. Review of Educational Research, 89(2), 259–295. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654318821286

Tanja Häusermann, BSc Nutrition and Dietetics, research assistant in applied research & development nursing innovation field digital health at Bern University of Applied Sciences.

Pascale Zürcher is a research associate in the innovation field “Digital Health”, aF&E Nursing, BFH Health. Her research focuses on digital transformation processes, technology adoption in nursing and human-machine interaction. She draws on her nursing expertise as a qualified nurse and Advanced Practice Nurse (APN).

Prof. Dr Reinhard Riedl is a lecturer at the Institute of Digital Technology Management at BFH Wirtschaft. He is involved in many organisations and is a member of the steering committee of TA-Swiss. He is also a board member of eJustice.ch, Praevenire - Verein zur Optimierung der solidarischen Gesundheitsversorgung (Austria) and All-acad.com, among others.

Prof. Jimmy Schmid is a communication designer and a member of the management team of the Institute of Design Research IDR at Bern University of the Arts HKB. He coordinates the two research fields of Environmental Communication Design and Knowledge Visualisation.
He is head of the part-time postgraduate programme MAS Signage.
He is also a guest lecturer and expert at various national and international universities, colleges and institutions and the author of various signage technology articles and signage technology study assignments as well as a consultant on signage technology issues (juries, competitions, agency evaluations).

Dr Oliver Christ, lecturer at the FHNW School of Applied Psychology. Studied psychology, psychopathology and biology at Darmstadt Technical University. Scientific research activities in the clinical psychology and psychotherapy working groups and in occupational and engineering psychology at the Institute of Psychology at Darmstadt Technical University. Further training as a Microsoft Certified Application Developer and Microsoft Certified Solution Developer. Co-founder and CEO of Blue Flower UG. Co-founder of the Virtual Technologies and Innovation competence area at the Digital Innovation Lab of the FHNW.

Prof. Dr Friederike Thilo is Head of Innovation Field "Digital Health", aF&E Nursing, BFH Health. Her research focuses on the design of human-machine interaction in patient care with a focus on the nursing profession in an interprofessional context, digital transformation processes in healthcare and professional development in Care@home care models.