Human Flourishing in Dialogue With an AI Conversational Agent Using Psyhelp: A Qualitative Study of Narrative, Agency, and Meaning Making

Abstract

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) conversational agents into mental health, self-reflection, and well-being platforms has prompted growing interest in their psychological impact. While existing research has largely emphasized symptom reduction and short-term well-being outcomes, less is known about how sustained interaction with AI conversational agents may support broader processes of human flourishing. Responding to the Technology, Mind, and Behavior special issue on AI conversational agents and human flourishing, the present qualitative study examines how individuals experience psychological growth through ongoing dialogic engagement with an AI conversational agent. Drawing on a qualitative secondary analysis of user-generated journal entries from a real-world AI-assisted psychotherapy platform, Psyhelp, this study explores processes of meaning making, self-directed agency, narrative coherence, and perceived relational support. Using reflexive thematic analysis, five interrelated themes were identified: movement from symptom-focused language toward meaning-oriented reflection; emergence of agency through dialogue; increasing narrative coherence over time; experiencing the AI as a reflective but bounded presence; and reframing flourishing as living with complexity rather than resolution. Together, these findings suggest that AI conversational agents may scaffold flourishing-related psychological processes by supporting reflection, narrative integration, and agency without replacing human relationships. Implications are discussed for psychological theory, ethical AI design, and future research on human–AI interaction.

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