Care Technology as a Room of One’s Own: Designing for Compassion to Support Mental Health and Wellbeing
Benedetta Lusi is a PhD student in the Department of Interaction Design. (Co)Promotors are prof.dr.ir. G.D.S. Ludden from the Faculty of Engineering Technology, prof.dr.ir. P.P.C.C. Verbeek from the Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social Science and dr.ir. R. Klaassen from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science.
The thesis “Care Technology as a room of one’s own: designing for compassion to support mental health and wellbeing” proposes designing technology as a space, as a room of one’s own, where conflict can co-exist, rather than be solved. In 8 chapters, it explores designing technology for compassion to support mental health and wellbeing. It addresses aspects of conceptualization, design, and implementation. A scoping review identifies existing technologies, constructs, theories, and methods to design for compassion. As the demand for mental health services rises, the thesis highlights the urgent need for technology-supported, preventive, compassionate care. It outlines strategies to explicitly and intentionally design technology for compassion.
In addition, a classroom study investigates how to embed the value of compassion in design through a multisensory approach, engaging 77 university students. This study examines the expressions of compassion through sensory modalities and how these can be incorporated into caring and non-caring products.
Further, the thesis explores the current the integration of technology in blended therapy, proposing visual methods to better understand blended care scenarios in a human-technology interaction. It analyzes the experiences of both therapists and clients using e-health modules, shedding light on technology's role in mediating compassion within care paths.
A significant case study focuses on designing a compassionate technology package for abortion care, emphasizing the use of metaphors to enhance the design process. This case highlights how design can address the complexities of delicate and emotionally complex experiences while fostering self-care. The thesis discusses matters of compassion as matters that demand a compassionate caring. Through a critique of three design cases and an expert critique of the abortion care package, the thesis contributes tactics to design for compassionate engagements with potentially turbulent experiences such as abortion, pregnancy and loss of a loved one.
