A guided chatbot-based psychological intervention for psychologically distressed older adolescents and young adults: a randomised clinical trial in Jordan.

ABSTRACT: This randomised controlled trial compared a 10-session chatbot intervention with 5 weekly brief support calls (STARS) to enhanced usual care (EUC) in distressed young adults in Jordan (N = 344). Primary outcome was change in anxiety and depression severity assessed at baseline by the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL), 1-week posttreatment, and 3 months after treatment (primary outcome timepoint), as well as secondary outcome measures of psychological distress, personally identified problems, functional impairment, wellbeing and perceived agency. At the 3-month assessment, relative to EUC participants enrolled in STARS reported greater reductions of anxiety (effect size, 0.70) and depression (size, 0.61), as well as greater reductions in psychological distress, personally identified problems

SUBMITTER: Bryant RA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12820349 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature