What You Should Know:
– Wysa, a leading provider of digital mental health platforms, has been selected as a sub-awardee for a $3.4M grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
– The 4-year project, led by Washington University in St. Louis with Duke University as another sub-awardee, aims to develop personalized pathways for individuals managing mental health conditions alongside chronic pain.
Just-in-Time Adaptive Interventions (JITAIs): Tailored Support When It’s Needed Most
The project focuses on creating “Just-in-Time Adaptive Interventions” (JITAIs). These interventions use technology to deliver mental health support that is:
- More Effective: By tailoring support to an individual’s specific needs and current emotional state.
- Timely: By providing interventions at the precise moment they are most likely to be beneficial.
In the context of Wysa’s platform, JITAIs will translate to personalized support for chronic pain management, considering each user’s unique situation and mental health concerns.
Building, Testing, and Measuring Success
The NIH grant will fund the development and testing of JITAIs within Wysa’s platform, led by researchers at Washington University. The project will involve several key stages:
- User Research and Design: Interviews and testing will inform the development of effective JITAIs.
- Prototype Development and Testing: Researchers will create and test prototypes of the JITAIs within Wysa.
- Product Rollout and Public Availability: The final, refined JITAIs will be integrated into Wysa and made available to the public.
- Measuring Effectiveness: Researchers will assess the JITAIs’ impact on chronic pain, depression, and anxiety treatment outcomes.
Building on Existing Success
This project leverages prior research conducted by Washington University, published in JMIR, which demonstrated the effectiveness of Wysa in supporting individuals with chronic pain. This new grant signifies continued efforts to bridge the gap in behavioral health support for chronic pain patients and further personalizes the digital mental health experience.
“We envision that by implementing JITAIs we’ll be helping Washington University and, eventually, other healthcare providers take a step further in personalizing care to address individual’s specific needs,” said Chaitali Sinha, Senior Vice President of Healthcare and Clinical Development at Wysa. “Whether it be the right tool at the right time, or a simple offering of encouragement at a seemingly vulnerable moment, these interventions hold the potential to modernize the digital mental health experience and improve patient outcomes.”
