60 Participants Needed

AI Wellness Chatbot for Depression and Anxiety

MG
CB
Overseen ByCamellia Bui
Age: 18+
Sex: Any
Trial Phase: Academic
Sponsor: University of Pennsylvania
No Placebo GroupAll trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Trial Summary

Do I need to stop my current medications to join the trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Elomia for depression and anxiety?

Research shows that AI chatbots, like Wysa, can help build a strong connection with users, similar to traditional therapy, which is important for treating depression and anxiety. Chatbots are also seen as valuable tools for mental health support, especially when resources are limited.12345

Is the AI Wellness Chatbot for Depression and Anxiety safe for humans?

The research on chatbots for mental health, like Elomia, suggests they are generally considered acceptable and helpful, but specific safety data is limited. Chatbots are designed to provide support and information, and while they are not a replacement for professional care, they are not known to cause harm.678910

How is the AI Wellness Chatbot treatment for depression and anxiety different from other treatments?

The AI Wellness Chatbot, Elomia, is unique because it uses artificial intelligence to provide personalized, on-demand support for managing depression and anxiety, which can be especially helpful when human resources are limited. Unlike traditional treatments, it offers real-time virtual assistance, making mental health care more accessible and efficient.1361112

What is the purpose of this trial?

This study is testing the acceptability and efficacy of an AI enabled mental health chatbot (Elomia) as a resource of college student wellness.

Research Team

MG

Melissa G Hunt, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Pennsylvania

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for University of Pennsylvania undergraduate students who are at least 18 years old. It's designed to help those experiencing depression, anxiety, or high levels of stress.

Inclusion Criteria

N/A
I am an undergraduate student at the University of Pennsylvania and am 18 or older.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants use either the Elomia chatbot or Penn Wellness Modules at least once per week for around 30 minutes

4 weeks

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms

4 weeks

Treatment Details

Interventions

  • Elomia
Trial Overview The study is evaluating an AI-enabled mental health chatbot called Elomia and comparing it with Penn Digital Wellness Resources to see how well they support student wellness.
Participant Groups
2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Group I: Elomia - Digital Mental Health ChatbotExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Participants randomized to Elomia will be expected to use the intervention at least once per week (for around 30 minutes) but are encouraged to use as needed/wanted. Elomia is a generative AI program that can respond to text the user types in with unique responses that are designed to address therapeutic targets like stress, anxiety, procrastination, feeling overwhelmed and so on. Elomia was "trained" by real therapists with expertise in cognitive-behavioral therapy who responded to many different real people typing about their concerns. Thus, Elomia can suggest a number of different evidence based therapeutic strategies and can help the user process negative feelings, think through problems, plan solutions, and trouble shoot things that might get in the way of implementing those strategies.
Group II: Penn Wellness ModulesActive Control1 Intervention
Participants randomized to the control condition will be expected to use the intervention at least once per week (for around 30 minutes) but are encouraged to use as needed/wanted. The control condition consists of a curated collection of digital wellness resources that are already available freely to Penn students, including tips on getting good sleep, learning center material on time management and procrastination, and so on. The resources will be accessed via a single website, but there is no interactive component.

Find a Clinic Near You

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Pennsylvania

Lead Sponsor

Trials
2,118
Recruited
45,270,000+

Findings from Research

Chatbots can effectively support patients with anxiety and depression, serving as affordable and efficient virtual assistants, especially in areas with limited mental health resources.
Out of 42 studies reviewed, about 60% of chatbots targeted both anxiety and depression, indicating their versatility in addressing multiple mental health issues, while their role in mental health care is expected to grow.
Chatbot features for anxiety and depression: A scoping review.Ahmed, A., Hassan, A., Aziz, S., et al.[2023]
The 16-week Feel Program, a digital mental health support initiative, showed a 65% retention rate among 48 adult participants, with high user satisfaction (65% reported very high satisfaction) and significant engagement in activities designed to manage depressive and anxiety symptoms.
Results indicated that 93.5% of participants experienced a decrease in depressive or anxiety symptoms, with 51.6% showing clinically significant improvement, suggesting that higher engagement in the program correlates with better mental health outcomes.
Feasibility, engagement, and preliminary clinical outcomes of a digital biodata-driven intervention for anxiety and depression.Tsirmpas, C., Andrikopoulos, D., Fatouros, P., et al.[2022]
In a study involving 1,205 users of the Wysa app for mental health, users reported a strong therapeutic alliance with the AI conversational agent, with scores comparable to traditional therapy methods like CBT.
Over a brief period of 3 days, users' perceptions of their bond with Wysa improved, indicating that digital mental health services can effectively foster a therapeutic relationship similar to that found in face-to-face therapy.
Evaluating the Therapeutic Alliance With a Free-Text CBT Conversational Agent (Wysa): A Mixed-Methods Study.Beatty, C., Malik, T., Meheli, S., et al.[2022]

References

Chatbot features for anxiety and depression: A scoping review. [2023]
Artificial intelligence and machine learning in mobile apps for mental health: A scoping review. [2023]
Feasibility, engagement, and preliminary clinical outcomes of a digital biodata-driven intervention for anxiety and depression. [2022]
Chatbots and Conversational Agents in Mental Health: A Review of the Psychiatric Landscape. [2020]
Evaluating the Therapeutic Alliance With a Free-Text CBT Conversational Agent (Wysa): A Mixed-Methods Study. [2022]
Evaluation of chatbot-delivered interventions for self-management of depression: Content analysis. [2022]
AI Conversational Agent to Improve Varenicline Adherence: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Feasibility Study. [2023]
Enhancing the quality of cognitive behavioral therapy in community mental health through artificial intelligence generated fidelity feedback (Project AFFECT): a study protocol. [2023]
Preliminary Evaluation of a Conversational Agent to Support Self-management of Individuals Living With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Interview Study With Clinical Experts. [2023]
Conversational Agents in Health Care: Expert Interviews to Inform the Definition, Classification, and Conceptual Framework. [2023]
A Therapeutic Relational Agent for Reducing Problematic Substance Use (Woebot): Development and Usability Study. [2021]
Artificially intelligent chatbots in digital mental health interventions: a review. [2022]
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