Personalized AI Support for Anxiety Therapy
SCH: Personalized AI-Driven Models for Supporting User Engagement and Adherence in Health Interventions: Validation in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety
This project creates personalized AI robots to help college students with anxiety stick to their Cognitive Behavioral Therapy exercises.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Southern California NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11134747 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Many college students struggle with anxiety, and while Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is very helpful, it often requires practice between sessions that can be hard to keep up with. This project aims to develop special AI-powered robots that can learn about you and offer personalized support to help you complete your CBT homework. We will work with students to design these robots and then test how well they can encourage consistent practice and reduce anxiety over a six-week period. The goal is to make CBT more effective by providing a friendly, personalized helper.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are college students aged 21 and older who experience anxiety and are undergoing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
Not a fit: Patients who are not college students, are under 21, or are not receiving Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for anxiety may not directly benefit from this specific intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could make Cognitive Behavioral Therapy more effective for anxiety by helping patients consistently practice their skills, leading to better long-term emotional well-being.
How similar studies have performed: Socially assistive robots have shown promise in promoting adherence in other areas like elder care and physical therapy, suggesting a foundation for this novel application in CBT.
Where this research is happening
Los Angeles, UNITED STATES
- University of Southern California — Los Angeles, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mataric, Maja J — University of Southern California
- Study coordinator: Mataric, Maja J
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.