Health Technology/clinical-trials

Digital Mental Health Trial Opens: Optimising AI-Powered Pain Management App for Older Adults With Chronic Pain and Depression

247 Health News Editorial

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12 May 2026

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4 min read

·clinical-trials

New US trial evaluates personalised mobile app notifications for chronic pain management in older adults with depression. The study aims to optimise digital therapeutic engagement through adaptive, just-in-time interventions.

Originally reported by ClinicalTrials.gov

References

  1. 1.Bair, M. J., Robinson, R. L., Katon, W., & Kroenke, K. (2003). Depression and pain comorbidity: a literature review. Archives of Internal Medicine, 163(20), 2433-2445. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.163.20.2433
  2. 2.Baumel, A., Muench, F., Edan, S., & Kane, J. M. (2019). Objective user engagement with mental health apps: systematic search and panel-based usage analysis. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 21(9), e14567. https://doi.org/10.2196/14567
  3. 3.Dahlhamer, J., Lucas, J., Zelaya, C., Nahin, R., Mackey, S., DeBar, L., ... & Helmick, C. (2018). Prevalence of chronic pain and high-impact chronic pain among adults—United States, 2016. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 67(36), 1001-1006. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6736a2
  4. 4.Kroenke, K., Spitzer, R. L., & Williams, J. B. (2001). The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 16(9), 606-613. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1525-1497.2001.016009606.x
  5. 5.Molton, I. R., & Terrill, A. L. (2014). Overview of persistent pain in older adults. American Psychologist, 69(2), 197-207. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0037794
  6. 6.Nahum-Shani, I., Smith, S. N., Spring, B. J., Collins, L. M., Witkiewitz, K., Tewari, A., & Murphy, S. A. (2018). Just-in-time adaptive interventions (JITAIs) in mobile health: key components and design principles for ongoing health behavior support. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 52(6), 446-462. https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kax020
  7. 7.Outcalt, S. D., Kroenke, K., Krebs, E. E., Chumbler, N. R., Wu, J., Yu, Z., & Bair, M. J. (2015). Chronic pain and comorbid mental health conditions: independent associations of posttraumatic stress disorder and depression with pain, disability, and quality of life. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 38(4), 535-543. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-015-9628-3
  8. 8.Shiffman, S., Stone, A. A., & Hufford, M. R. (2008). Ecological momentary assessment. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 4, 1-32. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.3.022806.091415
  9. 9.Therapeutic Goods Administration. (2021). Software as Medical Device: Guidance for manufacturers. Australian Government Department of Health. https://www.tga.gov.au/resources/resource/guidance/software-medical-device-guidance-manufacturers
  10. 10.Washington University School of Medicine. (2024). Evaluating and Optimizing Just-In-Time Adaptive Interventions (JITAIs) in a Digital Mental Health Intervention (Wysa for Chronic Pain) for Middle-Aged and Older Adults With Chronic Pain. ClinicalTrials.gov. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06978166
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