A study conducted by researchers at the University of Cambridge has found that regular conversations with a humanoid robot can provide significant emotional benefits to informal caregivers. These individuals, who often care for sick or disabled friends and relatives without formal training or pay, frequently experience stress and isolation due to their responsibilities.
The research, published in the International Journal of Social Robotics, involved a five-week intervention in which participants engaged in twice-weekly chats with Pepper, a social robot. The aim was to explore whether such interactions could help alleviate feelings of loneliness and overwhelm among carers.
“In other words, these conversations with a social robot gave caregivers something that they sorely lack – a space to talk about themselves,” said first author Dr Guy Laban from Cambridge’s Department of Computer Science and Technology.
Participants included parents caring for children with disabilities as well as older adults looking after partners with dementia. Over the course of the study, carers reported improvements in mood and an increased sense of comfort from interacting with the robot. They also noted feeling less lonely and stressed as time went on.
“Over those five weeks, carers gradually opened up more,” said Laban. “They spoke to Pepper more freely, for longer than they had done at the start, and they also reflected more deeply on their own experiences.
“They told us that chatting to the robot helped them to open up, feel less lonely and overwhelmed, and reconnect with their own emotional needs.”
The findings suggest that social robots could play a role in helping caregivers express emotions they might otherwise keep unspoken. After participating in the intervention, many carers expressed greater acceptance of their caregiving roles and reported fewer feelings of blame toward others.
“Informal carers are often overwhelmed by emotional burdens and isolation,” said co-author Professor Emily Cross from ETH Zürich. “This study is – to the best of our knowledge – the first to show that a series of conversations with a robot about themselves can significantly reduce carers’ loneliness and stress.
“The intervention also promoted acceptance of their caregiving role and strengthened their ability to regulate their emotions. This highlights ways in which assistive social robots can offer emotional support when human connection is often scarce.”
Guy Laban, Val Morrison, Arvid Kappas, Emily S. Cross authored the paper titled ‘Coping with Emotional Distress via Self-Disclosure to Robots: An Intervention with Caregivers,’ available in the International Journal of Social Robotics (2025).