Effects of Al-assisted emotional regulation on psychological wellbeing and facial-state perception

ISRCTN	ISRCTN86821785
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN86821785
Sponsor	Communication University of Zhejiang
Funders	National Social Science Fund of China, Communication University of Zhejiang, Zhejiang Office of Philosophy and Social Science

Submission date: 14/09/2026
Registration date: 16/09/2026
Last edited: 16/09/2026

Recruitment status: No longer recruiting
Overall study status: Completed
Condition category: Mental and Behavioural Disorders

Prospectively registered

Protocol

Statistical analysis plan

Results

Individual participant data

Record updated in last year

Plain English summary of protocol

Not provided at time of registration

Contact information

Miss Yuyu Sun
Public, Principal investigator

No. 998, Xueyuan street, Baiyang street, Qiantang District
Hangzhou
310018
China

ORCID ID	0009-0005-8099-490X
Phone	+86 13925668802
Email	202413546007@stu.cuz.edu.cn; happyfish0321@gmail.com

Dr Xiaoxiao Cao
Scientific

No. 998, Xueyuan street, Baiyang street, Qiantang District
Hangzhou
310018
China

ORCID ID	0000-0002-8461-9497
Phone	+86 13429672890
Email	caoxiaoxiao@cuz.edu.cn

Study information

Primary study design	Interventional
Allocation	Randomized controlled trial
Masking	Open (masking not used)
Control	Active
Assignment	Parallel
Purpose	Treatment
Scientific title	Effects of Al-assisted emotional regulation on psychological wellbeing and facial-state perception
Study objectives	The primary objective was to determine whether 42 days of daily AI-assisted conversational emotional regulation produced a greater improvement in positive affect than maintaining usual daily routines. Secondary objectives were to compare changes in negative affect, anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, self-esteem and life satisfaction between groups; describe daily mood trajectories; and assess adherence to the intervention and repeated assessments. An exploratory objective was to examine whether psychological changes were accompanied by changes in app-derived facial skin age and comprehensive skin score. Because this is a retrospective registration, PANAS positive affect is reported as the main psychological outcome based on the implemented study and is not represented as a prospectively registered sole primary endpoint.
Ethics approval(s)	Submitted 25/05/2025, Ethics Committee, School of Design Arts, Communication University of Zhejiang (School of Design Arts, Communication University of Zhejiang, No. 998 Yuqiao West Road, Tongxiang, 310018, China; +86 573 89390295; sjysxy@cuz.edu.cn), ref: CUZ-RE-2025-05
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied	Psychological wellbeing and emotional regulation, with exploratory facial-state outcomes.
Intervention	A total of 63 participants were allocated using a computer-generated random sequence to one of two parallel groups. The intervention group (n=39) used MoodTalker, an AI-assisted conversational emotional-regulation application, for 42 consecutive days and was instructed to complete at least one interaction per day. The application provided text-based empathic dialogue, cognitive reframing, mindfulness-oriented guidance, positive psychology prompts and supportive conversation, with optional text-to-speech output. The control group (n=24) maintained its usual daily routine for 42 days and received no AI-assisted emotional-regulation intervention or additional health-education materials. Both groups completed daily mood ratings and repeated psychological assessments. Participants were instructed not to initiate formal psychological counselling or structured mindfulness training during the study. A subsample completed exploratory facial-state assessments using an independent commercial mobile skin-analysis application. The study was open label, and no formal allocation-concealment procedure was implemented.
Intervention type	Behavioural
Primary outcome measure(s)	Positive affect measured using Positive Affect subscale score of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS-PA at baseline and weekly during the 42-day intervention at Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, with the principal between-group change comparisons conducted at weeks 3 and 6 Negative affect measured using 10-item Negative Affect subscale of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS-NA) at baseline and weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, with the principal comparisons conducted at weeks 3 and 6 Anxiety symptoms measured using the seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) at baseline and weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, with the principal comparisons conducted at weeks 3 and 6 Depressive symptoms measured using the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) at baseline and weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, with the principal comparisons conducted at weeks 3 and 6 Self-esteem measured using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale score; higher scores indicate greater self-esteem at baseline and weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, with the principal comparisons conducted at weeks 3 and 6 Life satisfaction measured using the Satisfaction With Life Scale score at baseline and weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, with the principal comparisons conducted at weeks 3 and 6 Daily mood measured using a single-item scale from 0 (very poor) to 10 (excellent) at daily during days 1–42 Study adherence measured using number of days on which daily mood ratings were completed, supplemented by available MoodTalker platform-use records for the intervention group at throughout the 42-day study period and summarized at Week 6 Exploratory app-derived facial skin age measured using algorithm-derived estimate of facial skin age generated by an independent commercial mobile skin-analysis application at baseline and post-intervention at the end of the 42-day study period Exploratory app-derived comprehensive skin score measured using composite facial skin score from 0 to 100 generated by an independent commercial mobile skin-analysis application at baseline and post-intervention at the end of the 42-day study period
Key secondary outcome measure(s)
Completion date	07/01/2026

Eligibility

Participant type(s)
Age group	Adult
Lower age limit	18 Years
Upper age limit	30 Years
Sex	All
Target sample size at registration	60
Total final enrolment	63
Key inclusion criteria	1. Aged 18–30 years 2. No formal psychological counselling or structured mindfulness training within the previous six months 3. No active severe dermatological condition, such as severe acne, eczema, or psoriasis 4. Able and willing to use the required mobile applications and complete the repeated study assessments 5. Willing to provide informed consent before participation
Key exclusion criteria	1. PHQ-9 score ≥20 or GAD-7 score ≥15 at screening 2. History of major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or another severe psychiatric disorder 3. Use of systemic corticosteroids, retinoids, or antidepressant medication within the preceding four weeks 4. Facial wounds, active facial infection, or recent cosmetic dermatological procedures 5. Regular mindfulness or meditation practice at least twice weekly for at least three consecutive months 6. Aged under 18 years
Date of first enrolment	17/07/2025
Date of final enrolment	21/11/2025

Locations

Countries of recruitment

China

Study participating centre

Communication University of Zhejiang

No. 998, Xueyuan street, Baiyang street, Qiantang District
Hangzhou
China

Results and Publications

Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share	No

Study outputs

Output type	Details	Date created	Date added	Peer reviewed?	Patient-facing?
Protocol file	version 1.1	27/08/2026	16/09/2026	No	No

Additional files

50286 Protocol_AI_Emotional_Regulation_v1.1 27Aug2026.pdf: Protocol file

Editorial Notes

15/09/2026: Trial's existence confirmed by Ethics Committee, School of Design Arts, Communication University of Zhejiang.