New RCT Shows Woebot Reduced Problematic Substance Use Occasions By One Third
Substance misuse was a critical topic of concern long before rates of alcohol and drug consumption skyrocketed during the pandemic. With the help of grants from the National Institutes of Drug Abuse (NIDA) and research partners at Stanford University’s School of Medicine, we’ve made studying Woebot’s feasibility and acceptability on this topic a focus. Now, we have published results from a new randomized controlled trial (RCT) in Drug and Alcohol Dependence that tested the efficacy of a Woebot program for substance use disorders among 180 adults who had concerns about their substance use. What did we find? Woebot’s guided self help approach doesn’t just work for people struggling with anxiety and depression, as we found in our first RCT, it works for people concerned about substance misuse, too. Our Chief Clinical Officer Athena Robinson, PhD, explains.
What was this latest study about?
It was an RCT designed to help us understand how adults with substance use concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic responded to a Woebot program that addresses substance use.
Has the company studied substance use before?
Our previous study, published earlier this year, was a non-randomized single arm study. In it we learned that people affected by substance misuse liked Woebot’s ability to provide destigmatized, in-the-moment help, and rated Woebot highly on bond formation, a measure that reflects the rapport that developed between participants and Woebot. This RCT took the research to the next level by investigating efficacy, or substance use change, among participants using Woebot compared to a waitlist control after eight weeks.
And this was an RCT…
Yes, it’s another RCT for Woebot although it’s our first in substance misuse. So it’s a major milestone for us in a new program of research beyond postpartum and adolescent depression, and among a population of people who have significant challenges finding available resources.
What did you find?
In short: Woebot significantly reduced substance use occasions over 8 weeks relative to the waitlist control group. The study was with 180 adults who sought help for their substance use and screened positive for substance misuse (based on a total score of >/=2 on the CAGE-AID). We found that participants in the Woebot group reduced the frequency of their substance use occasions by about a third, which was statistically significant compared to participants in the waitlist control condition. Those reductions in substance use occasions also correlated significantly with increased confidence and fewer substance use problems, cravings, depression and anxiety symptoms, and pandemic-related mental health effects.
So your first RCT with people with anxiety and depression concerns showed improvements in those receiving Woebot, and this RCT showed Woebot impacted substance use behavior?
Exactly. And that’s a major proof point for our thesis that with Woebot as their guide, self-directed tools can help people living with mental health issues access the help they need, when they need it. It’s another solid building block in a base of evidence about our approach and technology.
Did people in this study bond with Woebot?
Yes. We know from our recent retrospective observational study that Woebot quickly forms a bond with people at levels that are similar to the bond created between human therapists, and that the bond doesn’t appear to diminish over time. We also saw in the previous substance use-related study that study participants bonded well with Woebot. The bond levels in this study were very similar.
How does this all fit into Woebot Health’s broader research strategy?
We’re fortunate to have partners at Stanford University and NIDA who have the foresight to study mental health in a way that meets people where they are. Collectively, we’re interested in learning more about substance misuse and in exploring substance use reduction and its associated benefits. We’ll continue to advance our research program to build more understanding about for whom and how our products work best, and generate evidence that helps propel this growing category of self-guided solutions forward.
