Darcy A, Beaudette A, Chiauzzi E, Daniels J, Goodwin K, Mariano TY, Wicks P, Robinson A. Anatomy of a Woebot(R) (WB001): agent guided CBT for women with postpartum depression. Expert Rev Med Devices. 2023; 20(12): 1035-1049.
This article provides an overview of a new mobile app, Woebot (WB001), offered as a supplement to traditional therapy for individuals experiencing postpartum depression (PPD). Woebot uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques and behavioral activation techniques to improve mood and facilitate bonding between the mother and newborn. In addition to traditional CBT mechanisms Woebot also implements aspects of interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) to facilitate the transition to the role of parent. Woebot is an 8-week program intended to reduce symptoms of PPD following birth in patients with mild-moderate PPD over the age of 22 also engaged in traditional care. Woebot utilizes agent-guided CBT to foster a therapeutic bond while delivering the right care, at the right time, in the right way. To help determine right care, Woebot allows patients to select (and change) any number of key areas they wish to address: bonding with my baby, feeding, feeling inadequate, depression and sadness, frustration, feeling overwhelmed, loneliness, my identity, relationships, sleep, stress and anxiety, ‘other stuff’. Woebot then engages with patients 3-5 days per week and tracks patterns in key areas, mood, and previous conversations. Woebot uses this clinical memory to produce appropriate pre-scripted responses, AI generated conversations, and push appropriate CBT/IPT lessons. Initial clinical data is promising showing decreases in depression (p = 0.005, n = 51) and anxiety (p = 0.001, n = 51) measures compared to treatment alone. Further, engagement with Woebot produced a similar therapeutic bond score (3.84, n = 36,070) as seen in traditional outpatient CBT (individual 4.0, group 3.8).