article · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
This study examines the perceived potential of artificial intelligence chatbots for mental health to address conflict-induced trauma and reduce employee turnover among agricultural enterprise workers in Southwest Cameroon. Interviews and focus group discussions with workers across Tiko, Limbe, Muyuka, and Ekona revealed that exposure to conflict leads to psychological distress, absenteeism, and workforce loss. Agripreneur workers viewed AI-driven mental health support favourably, identifying user anonymity and ease of access as substantial benefits. Nevertheless, concerns regarding privacy, trust, and language support present notable obstacles to uptake. While workers expressed optimism that these digital tools could help restore their work capacity, real-world deployment requires addressing these adoption hurdles. Future progress depends on creating culturally sensitive digital interventions that accommodate local languages, paired with workplace policies informed by trauma awareness and controlled trials to determine true clinical and operational effectiveness.
Conflict and regional instability severely disrupt agricultural supply chains by harming the mental health and retention of workers. Understanding how digital interventions such as AI mental health chatbots are received provides vital insights for employers and health providers. If implemented effectively, culturally appropriate digital tools could offer accessible psychological support in resource-constrained, conflict-affected regions, helping sustain local agricultural livelihoods.
This early-stage research highlights an opportunity for digital health developers and agricultural employers to design AI mental health chatbots tailored to conflict-affected workforces. Real-world application remains distant, as the findings reflect worker perceptions rather than tested software. For commercial or operational viability, developers must resolve privacy and trust concerns, integrate local languages, and conduct controlled trials to establish clinical and operational efficacy before deployment in agribusiness settings.
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Abstract This phenomenological study explored the perceived potential of AI-powered mental health chatbots to enhance human capital resilience and mitigate trauma-induced labour turnover among agripreneur workers in Southwest Cameroon. Through semi-structured in-depth interviews with 20 participants and two focus group discussions comprising 10 participants in Tiko, Limbe, Muyuka, and Ekona, the study examined workers' lived experiences of conflict-induced trauma and their perceptions of AI-powered mental health interventions. Thematic analysis revealed that conflict-induced trauma manifests as psychological distress, absenteeism, and labour turnover. Participants expressed favourable perceptions regarding the feasibility and acceptability of AI-powered mental health chatbots, citing anonymity and accessibility as key facilitators, while trust, privacy, and language concerns emerged as significant barriers. Participants expressed hope that such interventions could improve their capacity to work, suggesting perceived potential effectiveness in enhancing human capital resilience. The study concludes that AI-powered mental health chatbots represent a promising perceived intervention for addressing trauma-induced labour turnover in conflict-affected agribusiness contexts, though significant barriers to adoption must be addressed. Recommendations include investing in culturally sensitive AI interventions, incorporating local languages, implementing trauma-informed workplace policies, and conducting controlled trials to evaluate actual effectiveness. Keywords: Human Capital Resilience, Agribusiness, AI-Powered Mental Health Chatbots, Trauma-Induced Labour Turnover, Sustainable Livelihood Framework, Anglophone Crisis, Southwest Cameroon
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DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.22179141
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