Phase II Trial: AI-Powered Wysa Chatbot vs Unmet Need — Digital Eating Disorder Prevention in At-Risk Adolescents
247 Health News Editorial
·3 Aug 2026
·4 min read
·clinical-trialsA 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.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.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.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.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.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.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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247 Health News Editorial
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