"I'm not alone in that battle": Designing Mobile AR for Mental Health Communication and Community Connectedness

For researchers at the intersection of health and human computer interaction, mobile AR presents a compelling platform for public health communication: it is increasingly available, highly customizable, and can present interactive visualizations of complex data. However, designers face challenges not only in adapting appropriate data and relevant public health metrics, but also in assessing their communicative potential and effectiveness for the target community. To contribute insight into this research area, we designed four mobile AR visualizations based on mental health issues and resources for our local university community. We then conducted a mixed-methods field experiment to investigate the impact of our AR visualizations on participants' awareness and understanding of pressing health issues, and to document barriers to use in this context. We show that our visualizations increased participants' sense of community connectedness and prompted them to reflect on their relationship with the university community. Based on these findings, we discuss opportunities for the field of human-computer interaction to further support public health communication.