Health Technology/clinical-trials

Phase II Trial: AI-Powered Wysa Chatbot vs Unmet Need — Digital Eating Disorder Prevention in At-Risk Adolescents

247 Health News Editorial

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3 Aug 2026

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4 min read

·clinical-trials

A Phase II clinical trial from Washington University School of Medicine is testing the Wysa digital chatbot as a smartphone-delivered eating disorder prevention tool in 400 at-risk adolescents aged 13–19. The study targets a critical gap in accessible, scalable prevention for diverse youth populations, with primary outcomes measured via the validated Weight Concerns Scale. Results are anticipated by 2027–2028.

Originally reported by ClinicalTrials.gov

References

  1. 1.Washington University School of Medicine. (2025). Improving access to services, preventing eating disorders, and addressing comorbid depression and anxiety in diverse adolescents (NCT07094503). ClinicalTrials.gov. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07094503
  2. 2.Stice, E., Marti, C. N., & Rohde, P. (2013). Prevalence, incidence, impairment, and course of the proposed DSM-5 eating disorder diagnoses in an 8-year prospective community study of young women. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 122(2), 445–457. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0030679
  3. 3.Rodgers, R. F., Watts, A. W., Austin, S. B., Haines, J., & Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2017). Disordered eating in ethnic minority adolescents with overweight. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 50(6), 665–671. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.22635
  4. 4.Killen, J. D., Taylor, C. B., Hayward, C., Haydel, K. F., Wilson, D. M., Hammer, L., Kraemer, H., Blair-Greiner, A., & Strachowski, D. (1996). Weight concerns influence the development of eating disorders: A 4-year prospective study. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64(5), 936–940. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.64.5.936
  5. 5.Galmiche, M., Déchelotte, P., Lambert, G., & Tavolacci, M. P. (2019). Prevalence of eating disorders over the 2000–2018 period: A systematic literature review. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 109(5), 1402–1413. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqy342
  6. 6.Linardon, J., Shatte, A., Messer, M., Firth, J., & Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, M. (2020). E-mental health interventions for the treatment and prevention of eating disorders: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 88(11), 994–1007. https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000575
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