AI chatbot as a therapy buddy: new study tests ChatGPT for anxiety and depression
NCT ID NCT07225192
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study will test if using an AI chatbot like ChatGPT can help people with generalized anxiety disorder or major depressive disorder who are already in regular therapy. Researchers plan to recruit 204 adults in the U.S. who are currently in individual therapy. Participants will use the chatbot as an extra tool alongside their usual treatment, and the study will track changes in anxiety and depression symptoms.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- AI chatbot (like ChatGPT) used as an adjunct to therapy
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could show that AI chatbots are a helpful extra tool for people already in therapy for anxiety or depression.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early study with no phase, so results are uncertain. The chatbot is not a replacement for therapy, and its effectiveness may vary. Privacy and reliance on AI are potential concerns.
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
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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
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About 204 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Nov 2025
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jan 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide 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: * 18+ * US Resident * English-speaking * Self-report having been treated for or diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder or major depressive disorder by a licensed provider (e.g., MD, DO, LPCC, LCSW, LMFT) in the past 12 months * Self-report currently being in individual therapy Exclusion Criteria: * Ever diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, or hospitalized for suicidality
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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