In recent years, online communication and the use of emojis have become increasingly common in mental health support services (Harith et al., 2022). Although the use of emojis in this context is growing (Nusrat & Huang, 2021; Qiu et al., 2016), research on the topic remains limited. The present study used an experimental design to examine mental health professionals' perceptions of emoji use in online support for adolescents. We explored whether the presence of emojis, the emotional context of the dialogue (positive vs. stressful), and professionals' own use of emojis influence their evaluations of the help provider and their willingness to recommend them.
The participants were 146 mental health professionals (82% women). The sample included psychologists (62%), social workers (12%), educational counselors (11%), and other therapists (15%). Participants were randomly assigned to view two fictional dialogues between an adolescent and a help provider, either with or without emojis. Dialogues were also randomized to convey either positive or stressful content. In the emoji condition, three emojis (a flower, a heart, and a happy or sad face) were embedded in each dialogue. Participants rated the help provider on twelve characteristics (e.g., empathy, authenticity, warmth) and indicated their willingness to recommend them.
Results showed an interaction between professionals' own emoji use and the emotional tone of the dialogue. Among professionals who use emojis, the help provider in the positive dialogue with emojis was rated more favorably across multiple characteristics and was more likely to be recommended. In contrast, professionals who do not use emojis rated the same provider less favorably when emojis were included. No significant differences were found in the stressful content dialogues across groups.
These findings underscore the role of personal use of emojis and emotional context of the dialog in shaping how mental health professionals perceive the use of emojis in online support.