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Can a chatbot be a friend to your mind? AI takes on student stress

NCT ID NCT06965439

Symptom relief Sponsor: National University of Singapore Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Aug 18, 2026 · Last updated Aug 19, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial asks whether an AI chatbot can improve emotional wellbeing and reduce mild anxiety and depression in university students. Around 162 students with subclinical symptoms will either chat with the AI for four sessions or complete neutral writing tasks. The study measures changes in wellbeing, anxiety, depression, and how empathic the chatbot feels. It aims to see if AI can offer meaningful emotional support in everyday, non-clinical settings.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
AI-delivered emotional wellbeing support via a chatbot using cognitive-behavioural techniques
What this could lead to
If effective, this could point toward a scalable, accessible tool for supporting mental health in students and other non-clinical populations.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage trial with a specific group (NUS students), so results may not apply broadly. The chatbot is not a substitute for professional care, and its benefits are uncertain.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

162 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Oct 2025

Finished

Apr 2026

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: Current undergraduate student at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Aged 21 years and above Proficient in English Not currently undergoing psychological treatment or taking psychiatric medication No history of self-harm or suicide Scores below 10 on both the GAD-7 and PHQ-9 (i.e., subclinical levels of anxiety and depression) Exclusion Criteria: Currently undergoing psychological treatment or counselling Currently taking psychiatric medication History of self-harm or suicidal ideation Scores ≥10 on the GAD-7 and/or PHQ-9, indicating moderate to severe anxiety or depression Inability to provide informed consent or comply with study procedures

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As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Control condition Intervention

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • NUS

    Singapore, 119077, Singapore

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