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Effectiveness of A Mindfulness-centered Stress Management AI Chatbot to Reduce Stress and Enhance Mental Health Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in China
Sponsor: The University of Hong Kong
Summary
The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of a mindfulness-centered stress management AI chatbot in reducing perceived stress and enhancing mental health among Chinese men who have sex with men (MSM). The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Does the AI chatbot show a greater reduction in perceived stress compared to standardized psychoeducational materials? 2. Does the AI chatbot improve mental health outcomes, including depressive and anxiety symptoms, subjective well-being, and emotion regulation? Researchers will compare the AI chatbot to a control group receiving psychoeducational materials to see if the chatbot works to reduce stress and improve mental health. Participants will: 1. Be randomized to use the AI chatbot (recommended at least 2 sessions per week, 10-15 minutes per session) or read psychoeducational materials (2 times per week) for 4 weeks. 2. Complete online self-report questionnaires at baseline, post-intervention (Week 4), and 4-week follow-up.
Official title: Effectiveness of A Mindfulness-centered Stress Management AI Chatbot to Reduce Stress and Enhance Mental Health Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in China: A Randomized Controlled Trial Study
Key Details
Gender
MALE
Age Range
18 Years - Any
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
76
Start Date
2026-07-31
Completion Date
2027-03-31
Last Updated
2026-08-19
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
Mindfulness-centered stress management AI chatbot
An investigational, web-based conversational AI chatbot providing preventive, low-intensity psychological support for Chinese MSM experiencing mild-to-moderate stress. It has the following functions: (1) Built on a Chinese open-source LLM optimized through RAG to deliver culturally adapted, empathetic responses addressing minority stress, stigma, and identity concealment. (2) Delivers interactive, 10-20 min guided mindfulness-based stress reduction exercises (grounding, self-compassion, sleep-support, etc).
Psychoeducation
Participants receive standardized, text-based psychoeducational readings covering general stress, coping concepts, and mental health awareness. The delivery contains no interactive features, conversational elements, or guided mindfulness coaching.
Locations (1)
The University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong, Hong Kong