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Just-In-Time Adaptive Interventions (JITAIs) in a Digital Mental Health Intervention for Middle-Aged and Older Adults With Chronic Pain

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

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06978166
Enrollment
1000
Registered
2025-05-18
Start date
2025-06-02
Completion date
2026-12-01
Last updated
2026-05-05

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Chronic Pain, Depression, Anxiety

Keywords

JITAI, Digital mental health intervention, Older adults, Middle-aged adults, App, Smartphone, Chronic pain, Depression, Anxiety, Chatbot

Brief summary

The purpose of this research study is to refine customized in-app notifications in order to optimize users' experience with a mobile app called Wysa for Chronic Pain. This app is designed to support people who have chronic pain and who also experience symptoms of depression and/or anxiety. This version of the app is not currently available to the public. Eligible participants will be asked to download and use the Wysa for Chronic Pain study app for several weeks, and to use it as they normally would if they were not part of a research study. At the beginning and end of the study period, participants will be asked to complete brief surveys about their mood, pain, physical function, and sleep. Additionally, a few participants will be asked to share their experience with the study app at the end of the research study in a casual interview using a secure audio/video recorded call. Participating in the interview portion is optional.

Interventions

OTHERJust-In-Time Adaptive Interventions (JITAIs)

JITAIs are digital interventions that aim to deliver support to a user when the person is most in need and receptive to the intervention. In this study, multiple JITAIs will be tested and refined through completion of an iterative series of randomized trials that are interspersed with qualitative participant interviews. The purpose of each JITAI under investigation is to improve engagement with the Wysa for Chronic Pain app.

BEHAVIORALWysa for Chronic Pain

Wysa for Chronic Pain is an app-based digital mental health intervention that uses a behavioral activation framework and encourages users to work toward pain acceptance. The intervention also includes cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and sleep tools.

Sponsors

Washington University School of Medicine
Lead SponsorOTHER
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
CollaboratorNIH
Duke University
CollaboratorOTHER
Wysa
CollaboratorINDUSTRY

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
SEQUENTIAL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
45 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* 45 years or older * At least moderately severe depression and/or anxiety symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and/or Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) score ≥ 10) * Chronic pain (i.e., pain on most days or every day in the past three months)

Exclusion criteria

* Frequent active suicidal ideation * No access to a mobile device * Not living in the United States

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
EngagementEach JITAI has a different target engagement time interval. e.g., varying from 24 hours to 7 days.The primary outcome for each JITAI is the between-group difference in engagement with Wysa for Chronic Pain during the JITAI's target engagement time interval. Engagement is operationalized as interaction(s) with the digital mental health intervention and is automatically captured throughout the study by the intervention's technical infrastructure. It is not self-reported.

Countries

United States

Contacts

CONTACTAdriana Martin
azmartin@wustl.edu314-530-9023
CONTACTResearch Coordinator
314-747-8489
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORAbby L. Cheng, MD, MPHS

Washington University School of Medicine

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: May 6, 2026