A guided chatbot-based psychological intervention for psychologically distressed older adolescents and young adults: a randomised clinical trial in Jordan - Summary - MDSpire

A guided chatbot-based psychological intervention for psychologically distressed older adolescents and young adults: a randomised clinical trial in Jordan

  • By

  • Richard A. Bryant

  • Anne M. de Graaff

  • Rand Habashneh

  • Sarah Fanatseh

  • Dharani Keyan

  • Aemal Akhtar

  • Adnan Abualhaija

  • Muhannad Faroun

  • Ibrahim Said Aqel

  • Latefa Dardas

  • Hadeel Afar

  • Chiara Servili

  • Dusan Hadzi-Pavlovic

  • Mark van Ommeren

  • Kenneth Carswell

  • January 15, 2026

  • 0 min

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Objective:

To evaluate the effectiveness of the STARS intervention, a rule-based chatbot specifically designed for young adults in Jordan, in reducing anxiety and depression.

Key Findings:
  • Participants in the STARS group reported a greater reduction in HSCL total scores compared to EUC (mean difference 10.21, P < 0.001).
  • Significant reductions in anxiety (mean difference 4.25, P < 0.001) and depression (mean difference 6.09, P < 0.001) were observed in the STARS group, all statistically significant.
  • 68.6% of STARS participants achieved a good outcome compared to 41.6% in EUC (OR = 3.1).
  • The number needed to treat (NNT) for anxiety was 2.7 and for depression was 3.1.
Interpretation:

The STARS intervention effectively reduced psychological distress in young adults in Jordan, indicating its potential as a scalable mental health solution in LMICs, particularly in similar cultural contexts.

Limitations:
  • High dropout rates were noted, with 36.6–43.3% missing data at follow-up, which may affect the reliability of the findings.
  • The study was conducted in a specific cultural context, which may limit generalizability to other LMICs.
Conclusion:

The STARS chatbot intervention shows promise in addressing mental health needs among young adults in LMICs, warranting further research and potential implementation to validate its effectiveness.

Original Source(s)

A guided chatbot-based psychological intervention for psychologically distressed older adolescents and young adults: a randomised clinical trial in Jordan

  • by Richard A. Bryant, Anne M. de Graaff, Rand Habashneh, Sarah Fanatseh, Dharani Keyan, Aemal Akhtar, Adnan Abualhaija, Muhannad Faroun, Ibrahim Said Aqel, Latefa Dardas, Hadeel Afar, Chiara Servili, Dusan Hadzi-Pavlovic, Mark van Ommeren, Kenneth Carswell

  • January 15, 2026

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