Severe Mental IllnessNUKI-PSYNCT07658547
Use of AI Chatbots for Mental Health
An observational study of Severe Mental Illness, run by Medizinische Hochschule Brandenburg Theodor Fontane at 1 site in Germany.
Trial summary
The goal of this observational study is to learn how patients with mental disorders use, perceive, and evaluate generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots for mental health-related purposes. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Severe Mental Illness
- How many people
- 150 participants
- Where
- 1 siteGermany
- Study dates
- 31 Jul 2026to Nov 2026
- How long will I take part?
- 1 Day
- Phase
- Observational
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: Psychiatric outpatient clinics, medical practices, and counseling centers in Berlin/Brandenburg
Who may be able to join
- diagnosed mental illness
Who cannot join
- incapable of giving consent
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
About this study
Official title: Use of AI Chatbots for Mental Health - an Online Survey of Patients With Severe Mental Illness
The goal of this observational study is to learn how patients with mental disorders use, perceive, and evaluate generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots for mental health-related purposes. The study aims to investigate usage patterns, expectations, experiences, perceived benefits, barriers, and concerns regarding AI chatbots among adults receiving psychiatric or psychotherapeutic treatment.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
Read more
- "How do patients with mental disorders use generative AI chatbots in the context of their mental health?"
- "What expectations, attitudes, and experiences do patients have regarding AI chatbots for mental health support?"
Participants will:
- Provide electronic informed consent before participation.
- Complete a one-time anonymous online survey lasting approximately 8 to 10 minutes.
- Answer questions about sociodemographic characteristics, psychiatric diagnoses, psychological distress, and digital device use.
- Report their expectations regarding AI chatbots for mental health support.
- Provide information about AI chatbot use, including frequency, duration, applications used, and purposes of use.
- Answer questions regarding satisfaction, trust, privacy concerns, perceived problems, and potential future integration of AI chatbots into mental health care.
- Optionally provide qualitative comments and suggestions in open-text fields.
- Optionally participate in semi-structured qualitative interviews to explore their experiences, attitudes, and perceptions regarding AI chatbots in greater depth.
There is no intervention, randomization, control group, or comparison arm in this study. The study follows a prospective cross-sectional mixed-methods design using quantitative survey data, qualitative free-text responses, and semi-structured interviews.
- Conditions
- Severe Mental Illness
- Medical subject headings
- Mental Disorders
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Mental Illness | Not described |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Percentage of patients who have used generative AI for mental health issues
Measured: up to 6 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted22 Jun 2026
- Study start31 Jul 2026
- Primary completionOct 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionNov 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Severe Mental IllnessStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Enrolment
- 150 participants (estimated)
- Target duration
- 1 Day
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Medizinische Hochschule Brandenburg Theodor Fontane
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Julian Schwarz, Medizinische Hochschule Brandenburg Theodor Fontane
- Investigators
- Schwarz, Principal investigator, Medizinische Hochschule Brandenburg Theodor Fontane
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07658547
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 401022026-BO-E
- Acronym
- NUKI-PSY
- Status last verified
- Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 8 Jun 2026
- Last updated
- 8 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No