Hannah Gaffney

Manchester Academic Health Science Centre

Papers

Total Citations

283

H-Index

About

Hannah Gaffney is a researcher at the forefront of digital mental health innovation, with a particular focus on the application of conversational agents — including chatbots and robots — in mental health treatment. Her landmark 2019 mixed-method systematic review, "Conversational Agents in the Treatment of Mental Health Problems," has become an essential reference in the field, accumulating 281 citations and establishing her as a leading voice in understanding how AI-driven technologies can support psychological care. This work was notable for its comprehensive scope, examining the full range of conversational agent modalities rather than focusing narrowly on embodied systems, thereby providing one of the most thorough evaluations of the field to date. By synthesizing both qualitative and quantitative evidence, Gaffney's research bridges the gap between technological innovation and clinical applicability, offering critical insights for practitioners, developers, and policymakers alike. Her contributions have helped shape the growing conversation around scalable, accessible mental health interventions, making her work especially relevant at a time when demand for psychological services consistently outpaces available resources. Researchers entering the digital mental health space would do well to engage closely with her findings.