Evaluating the Impact of a Digital Psychosocial Tool (Wysa) on Life Skills and Well-being of College Students in India

NCT ID: NCT06801093

Last Updated: 2025-06-25

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 152 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-01-30
• Study Completion Date: 2025-06-04

Brief Summary

The goal of this study is to learn the feasibility of a digital psychosocial tool (Wysa) in improving life skills and overall wellbeing of English-speaking college students in IIT-Gandhinagar, a university in India. This will be conducted using pre-post assessments examining resilience, self-efficacy, problem solving, and wellbeing as well as examining app usage during the intervention period. The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. The feasibility and acceptability of Wysa amongst college students enrolled at the university

2. The effectiveness of Wysa in improving the life skills and well-being of college students enrolled at the university

Detailed Description

This study will employ a mixed methods pre-post design to examine whether a digital psychosocial tool can help college students in India learn ways to manage their problems and improve their wellbeing. Students enrolled at the Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar (IIT-Gn) and are interested in learning skills to manage stressors are invited to participate in the study. The intervention being studied is the Wysa app which includes an AI-based chatbot, a library of toolpacks , and SOS resources. Participants will complete baseline research procedures (T0) and be able to download the app. Participants can use the Wysa app for a period of 2 months. At the end of 2 months, participants will be invited to complete their endline assessments (T1). Another follow-up assessment (T2) will be carried out 1 month after the intervention period completion. A sub-sample of participants will be invited to participate in qualitative interviews to provide feedback about their experiences using the Wysa app and to understand the barriers and facilitators to acceptability and effectiveness of the app.

Conditions

Wellbeing; Resilience; Self Efficacy; Life Skills; Problem Solving

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NA
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: OTHER
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Wysa app

Participants will receive the digital psychosocial tool (Wysa) for a period of 2 months. Wysa is a digital app that includes an AI-based conversational conversational agent, a repository of self-help tools, and SOS resources.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Digital psychosocial tool

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Wysa is a digital psychosocial tool that provides AI conversational chatbot support. The conversational agent acts as a companion, and understands, empathizes, and guides users through exercises grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness, and motivational intervention. Participants can progressively work through learning different skills and practice them in their daily life. The app also provides a repository of tools to manage problems and SOS resources for high distress.

Interventions

Digital psychosocial tool

Wysa is a digital psychosocial tool that provides AI conversational chatbot support. The conversational agent acts as a companion, and understands, empathizes, and guides users through exercises grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness, and motivational intervention. Participants can progressively work through learning different skills and practice them in their daily life. The app also provides a repository of tools to manage problems and SOS resources for high distress.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Are between 18-25 years of age
• Are a student of Idian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar (IIT Gandhinagar)
• Are able to read and understand English
• Have access to an internet enabled smartphone

Exclusion Criteria

• Have previously used Wysa app (the intervention)
• Presence of self-harm/suicidal risk

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 25 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Wysa

INDUSTRY

Sponsor Role: collaborator

London School of Economics and Political Science

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Sarah Jasim

Research Fellow

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Sarah Jasim, Ph.D

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

London School of Economics and Political Science

Locations

Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar (IIT-Gandhinagar)

Palaj, Gujarat, India

Countries

India

Other Identifiers

390706

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id