Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT05762939

Chatbot Intervention for Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms in Young Adults

This clinical trial compares the effects of using an artificial intelligence based therapy chatbot and a self-help book to lower anxiety and depressive symptoms. The therapy chatbot (named Fido) is an application delivering support for mental health via a conversation-like interface in a highly inflected language (Polish).

The team will recruit young people (aged 18-35) who currently struggle with anxiety and/or depression. The participants will use the chatbot or self-help materials for two weeks. Then, the researchers will check if using the chatbot or the book improved several aspects of mental health and the quality of life. Moreover, they will compare the groups for any differences in outcomes.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Anxiety Anxiety Disorders Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Depression Mental Disorders

Age range

18 year–35 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Laboratory of Affective Neuroscience in Poznań, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities

Poznan, Greater Poland Voivodeship, 61-719, Poland

About this study

The primary objective of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of a chatbot-delivered cognitive-behavioural intervention on anxiety and depressive symptoms (and their correlates, such as quality of life or feelings of loneliness) in a subclinical sample of about 80 participants.

The intervention results are compared to an active control intervention with popular self-help materials. Secondary objectives include the assessment and analysis of the human-chatbot therapeutic bond and general user experience.

The study uses a 2 x 3 mixed factorial design with two intervention arms (Fido chatbot vs self-help book) and three time points (T1: just prior to the intervention, T2: immediately after the intervention, T3: at a follow-up one month after the previous measurement). The primary intervention lasts two weeks.

All primary and secondary outcomes are assessed using self-administered online questionnaires in Polish. Each primary outcome measure is analyzed using a 2 (arms) x 2 (time points) ANOVA models with T1-T2 comparisons to test for the intervention effect and T1-T3 comparisons to check the stability of the intervention effect. Additional analyzes utilize standard NHST calculations and procedures (such as t-tests and correlation coefficients) alongside the conventional ⍺=.05 level.

Similarly to the previous research in this area, no blinding is used. Participants are informed about different conditions, but the research hypotheses are masked.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • declaring at least mild depressive or anxiety symptoms by achieving a total score of at least 16 points on Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Revised or at least 50 points on Penn State Worry Questionnaire
  • being able to visit the study site in Poznań (Poland) to complete all measurements

Exclusion criteria

  • undergoing psychotherapy, coaching or psychopharmacological treatment
  • being diagnosed with a neurological disorder

Treatment and study plan

Chatbot

Behavioral

Participants in this condition were asked to use Fido, a Polish therapy chatbot, for two weeks. No minimal requirements of usage time were enforced, but participants had to fill in five engagement check surveys during the intervention period. Each survey had to be completed in less than 24 hours.

Control (book)

Behavioral

Participants in this condition were told to read selected chapters from a self-help book during the two-week intervention period. No minimal requirements of usage time were enforced, but participants had to fill in five engagement check surveys during the intervention period. Each survey had to be completed in less than 24 hours.

Primary outcomes

  1. CESD-R Score Change

    Time frame: Time point 1: Just prior to the intervention. Time point 2: Immediately after two weeks of the intervention. Time point 3: One month after the previous measurement (time point 2).

    The total sum score of the Polish version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Revised.

  2. PHQ-9 Score Change

    Time frame: Time point 1: Just prior to the intervention. Time point 2: Immediately after two weeks of the intervention. Time point 3: One month after the previous measurement (time point 2).

    The total sum score of the Polish version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9.

  3. PSWQ Score Change

    Time frame: Time point 1: Just prior to the intervention. Time point 2: Immediately after two weeks of the intervention. Time point 3: One month after the previous measurement (time point 2).

    The total sum score of the Polish version of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire.

  4. SWLS Score Change

    Time frame: Time point 1: Just prior to the intervention. Time point 2: Immediately after two weeks of the intervention. Time point 3: One month after the previous measurement (time point 2).

    The total sum score of the Polish version of the Satisfaction With Life Scale.

  5. PANAS Score Change

    Time frame: Time point 1: Just prior to the intervention. Time point 2: Immediately after two weeks of the intervention. Time point 3: One month after the previous measurement (time point 2).

    The total sum scores of the Polish version of the Positive and Negative Affect Scale in two subscales (Positive and Negative Affect, separately).

  6. STAI Score Change

    Time frame: Time point 1: Just prior to the intervention. Time point 2: Immediately after two weeks of the intervention. Time point 3: One month after the previous measurement (time point 2).

    The total sum score of the Polish version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.

  7. R-UCLA Score Change

    Time frame: Time point 1: Just prior to the intervention. Time point 2: Immediately after two weeks of the intervention. Time point 3: One month after the previous measurement (time point 2).

    The total sum score of the Polish version of the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale.

Other outcomes

  1. ACC Score

    Time frame: Time point 2: Immediately after two weeks of the intervention.

    The total sum score of the Polish version of the Acceptability E-scale. Used exclusively in the chatbot arm.

  2. HCI Scores

    Time frame: Time point 2: Immediately after two weeks of the intervention.

    The total sum scores of six subscales from the Human-Computer Interaction Scale. Used exclusively in the chatbot arm.

  3. LP Score

    Time frame: Time point 2: Immediately after two weeks of the intervention.

    Individual item scores from Language Pragmaticality Scale. Used exclusively in the chatbot arm.

  4. WAI-SR Score

    Time frame: Time point 2: Immediately after two weeks of the intervention.

    The total sum score of the Polish version of the Working Alliance Inventory Short Revised. The Polish translation of this measure was developed by the research team. Used exclusively in the chatbot arm.

  5. Psychoeducation Test Score

    Time frame: Time point 2: Immediately after two weeks of the intervention.

    The total sum score of the 12-item test which assessed the participants' acquired knowledge of psychoeducation topics.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw

Other

Collaborators

  • Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Poland

Registry information

Official study title

Effectiveness of a Therapy Chatbot on Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms in Subclinical Young Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2022
Study completion
2022
First posted
Mar 10, 2023
Registry last updated
Mar 10, 2023

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.