Using Conversational AI to Teach Growth Mindset Skills to Youths in India

NCT ID: NCT07316647

Last Updated: 2026-01-27

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 383 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-11-03
• Study Completion Date: 2026-01-09

Brief Summary

This study aims to test whether a brief digital intervention using conversational AI can improve mental health outcomes among school-aged youth (grades 6-8) in India, where most young people with mental health issues do not receive treatment. The intervention teaches "growth mindset", the belief that skills and abilities can improve with effort, via a 45-minute interactive conversation with an AI chatbot (spread across two class periods). A randomized controlled trial with approximately 430 students at a private, English-medium school in Bangalore will evaluate whether interacting with the chatbot can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression while enhancing growth mindset beliefs. Half the students will receive the full intervention at baseline, while the other half (control group) will complete a usual school assignment; after 7 weeks, the control group will receive a shortened (15-minute) version of the growth mindset intervention. Participants will complete 10-minute surveys at baseline, 3 weeks, and 7 weeks, after which all students will receive a printed booklet with all the information from the chatbot. This study represents one of the first randomized controlled trials evaluating conversational AI as a brief digital intervention for youth mental health.

Detailed Description

Globally, 300 million youths have a diagnosable mental disorder and more reside in India than any other country. Yet, in India, where this study is based, most youths affected by mental health issues do not receive treatment. Symptoms are especially prevalent during high school, when many students show signs of depression and anxiety. Given myriad challenges in accessing mental healthcare, some have turned to conversational AIs such as ChatGPT and Claude for personalized support. However, there are few rigorous tests of whether such tools can improve mental health.

This study aims to bridge this gap by combining conversational AI with evidence-based intervention for youth mental health-specifically, a growth mindset intervention, which promotes the belief that abilities are not innate but can be improved with effort. It is well known that growth mindset interventions can improve academic performance. In addition, researchers have shown that brief, computer-guided growth mindset training can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression that sustain 3-9 months post-intervention, and not only in the United States. However, until now, these interventions have been delivered via static, standardized websites that few people use.

The intervention considered is a 45-minute interactive lesson on growth mindset, embedded within a conversational AI. Similar to prior interventions, the content includes modules on understanding growth mindset, its basis in neuroplasticity, and roleplaying scenarios. Each module includes interactive discussions with the AI (e.g., "in your words, what is a growth mindset?", "in the above scenario, how could a growth mindset apply?")

The specific aim of the study is to test whether a brief, AI-enabled growth mindset intervention offers measurable benefits for school-aged youth in India. A randomized controlled trial with about 430 students (grades 6-8) will measure whether the AI-enabled training leads to changes in growth mindset beliefs and skills as well as symptoms of anxiety and depression, relative to a control group that receives a shortened intervention after 7 weeks. Brief, 10-minute questionnaires will be administered to all participants at baseline, 3 weeks, and 7 weeks. At the conclusion of the trial, all students will receive a printed booklet with content from the full intervention. The study will take place in an English-medium private school in Bangalore, India, which serves a diversity of students.

The growth mindset intervention may also benefit academic performance, and the school partner, at its discretion, may be able to integrate it into part of their standard curriculum following the completion of the study. However, the specific research question is whether the chatbot interaction yields measurable improvements in youth mental health. Given the preponderance of AI chatbots aiming to address various aspects of mental health, such measurement is as important as it is rare. This study will contribute to the growing evidence base on how technology can inform and support youth mental health.

Conditions

Youth Mental Health; Anxiety; Depression

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Growth mindset training

Receives growth mindset training via 45-minute interaction with conversational AI

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Growth mindset training using conversational AI

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants will interact with an AI chatbot for approximately 45 minutes. The tutorial has a structured script and pauses at section boundaries to allow for brief interactions. It also contains culturally-grounded comics and illustrations with role-playing scenarios to engage with students.

Usual classroom activities

Performs usual classroom activities during the intervention period; receives delayed and shortened intervention at the conclusion of the study

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Growth mindset training using conversational AI

Participants will interact with an AI chatbot for approximately 45 minutes. The tutorial has a structured script and pauses at section boundaries to allow for brief interactions. It also contains culturally-grounded comics and illustrations with role-playing scenarios to engage with students.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Youth in grades 6-8 at our partner school
• Youth assents to participate and a parent/guardian provides passive consent (does not opt-out of participation)

Exclusion Criteria

• N/A

• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Harvard University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

John Weisz

Henry Ford II Research Professor of the Social Sciences, Department of Psychology

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

John R Weisz, Ph.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Harvard University

Locations

Partner school

Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Countries

India

References

Weisz JR, Vaughn-Coaxum RA, Evans SC, Thomassin K, Hersh J, Ng MY, Lau N, Lee EH, Raftery-Helmer JN, Mair P. Efficient Monitoring of Treatment Response during Youth Psychotherapy: The Behavior and Feelings Survey. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2020 Nov-Dec;49(6):737-751. doi: 10.1080/15374416.2018.1547973. Epub 2019 Jan 18.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 30657721 (View on PubMed)

Provided Documents

Document Type: Study Protocol, Statistical Analysis Plan, and Informed Consent Form: Version 1.0

View Document

Document Type: Study Protocol, Statistical Analysis Plan, and Informed Consent Form: Version 1.1

View Document

Other Identifiers

IRB25-0827

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id