Neural, Behavioral, and Clinical Outcomes of a Voice-based AI Coach for Depression and Anxiety: A Phase 2 Randomized Trial

AI voice-based coach Lumen delivering problem-solving treatment significantly reduces depression and anxiety symptoms in adults with untreated moderate depression and/or anxiety, with effects comparable to human coaching.

• Why it matters: Addressing mental health treatment gaps is critical, as many patients with depression and anxiety remain untreated, and scalable, accessible interventions are needed to improve outcomes.
• What they did: A phase 2 randomized trial involving 200 adults compared Lumen-coached PST, human-coached PST, and waitlist control, measuring psychological distress, problem-solving skills, and neural targets over 18 weeks.
• The result: Lumen-coached PST led to greater symptom reductions than waitlist, with similar efficacy to human coaching, and improved problem-solving abilities, supporting its potential as a treatment option pending further validation.