An AI chatbot to help teens and young adults with eating disorders manage anxiety about weight gain
Developing an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Powered Exposure Therapy Chatbot for Adolescents and Young Adults With Eating Disorders
This project will test an AI-powered chatbot that delivers exposure-based exercises to help adolescents and young adults in a partial hospitalization program reduce anxiety about weight gain.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 20 (estimated) |
| Ages | 12 Years to 26 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Hershey, Pennsylvania) |
| Trial ID | NCT07237607 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
Researchers will enroll 20 adolescents and young adults (ages 12–26) entering the Penn State Health Eating Disorder Partial Hospitalization or Intensive Outpatient Program and give them access to the Exp-ED chatbot as a supplement during their first six weeks of care. Participants will complete assessments every two weeks including semi-structured interviews, implementation outcomes (feasibility, usability, acceptability), and measures of anxiety about weight gain. The team will use mixed-methods data and the FRAME framework to iteratively adapt the chatbot and document modifications. Success will be judged against pre-specified benchmarks derived from prior mental health chatbot research.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are English-speaking adolescents and young adults (ages 12–26) admitted to the Penn State PHP or IOP with a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, or OSFED who own a personal smartphone.
Not a fit: Patients with ARFID, acute suicidality, an intellectual disability, without a smartphone, or not enrolled in the Penn State PHP/IOP are unlikely to enroll or benefit from this intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the chatbot could provide patients a convenient, private tool to practice exposure exercises and reduce anxiety about weight gain alongside standard PHP/IOP treatment.
How similar studies have performed: Prior mental health chatbots have demonstrated feasibility and user engagement, but exposure-based chatbots specifically tailored for eating disorders are novel and remain largely untested in clinical populations.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Age is between or equal to 12-26 years * Admitted to the Penn State Health Eating Disorder Partial Hospital Program (PHP) or Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) * Have a personal smartphone * Have a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), binge-eating disorder (BED), or other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED) * Be English speaking Exclusion Criteria: * Diagnosis of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) * Have acute suicidality * Diagnosis of an intellectual disability
Where this trial is running
Hershey, Pennsylvania
- Penn State College of Medicine — Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Jamal H Essayli, PhD
- Email: jessayli@pennstatehealth.psu.edu
- Phone: (717) 531-0003
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.