~15 spots leftby May 2025

AI Wellness Chatbot for Depression and Anxiety

MG
Overseen byMelissa G Hunt, PhD
Age: 18+
Sex: Any
Travel: May Be Covered
Time Reimbursement: Varies
Trial Phase: Academic
Waitlist Available
Sponsor: University of Pennsylvania
No Placebo Group

Trial Summary

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.

Treatment Details

Interventions

  • Elomia (Behavioral Intervention)
Trial OverviewThe 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+