Our Science
Evidence-based treatments, delivered where people need them.
Health Behavior Solutions turns interventions tested in clinical trials into digital tools for people living with mental health conditions who use tobacco or nicotine, or engage in hazardous drinking.
The gap we address
People with depression, anxiety, and serious mental illness smoke and vape at far higher rates than the general population, yet they are less likely to be offered effective help to quit. Hazardous drinking is also common and often goes unaddressed, and it can be harder to change when anxiety is part of the picture.
The treatments that work, such as motivational interviewing and personalized feedback, usually require a trained clinician's time. Most hospitals, clinics, and quitlines can't offer that to everyone who needs it. Our products are built to close that gap.
How we work: from trial to tool
Start with evidence
Every product begins with an approach that has been tested in an NIH-funded study.
Design with users
We build with patients and clinicians through focus groups and usability testing.
Test rigorously
We run pilot trials, then larger randomized trials, to measure real outcomes.
Deliver at scale
We partner with hospitals, clinics, and quitline providers to reach people where they already receive care.
Example: In our Helping HAND 3 randomized trial, published in JAMA Psychiatry (2021), our Sustained Care intervention helped psychiatric inpatients quit smoking after discharge, showing a doubling of quit rates at 6 months post-discharge compared to usual hospital care. Its counseling session is now the basis for HH-VDU, an AI-enabled app in development.
Brown, R.A., Minami, H., Hecht, J., Kahler, C.W., Price, L.H., Kjome, K.L., Bloom, E.L., Levy, D.E., Carpenter, K.M., Smith, A., Smits, J.A.J., & Rigotti, N.R. (2021). Sustained care smoking cessation intervention for individuals hospitalized for psychiatric disorders: The Helping HAND 3 randomized clinical trial. JAMA Psychiatry, 78(8), 839–847. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.0707
The science inside our products
Motivational interviewing
A collaborative conversation style that helps people find their own reasons to change. Our newest product delivers it through a conversational AI avatar.
Personalized feedback
Brief, tailored information that shows people how their behavior compares with others' and how it affects their goals.
Anxiety sensitivity
Fear of anxiety-related sensations drives both anxiety and substance use. Targeting it can address both at once.
Continuity of care
Our tools connect people to evidence-based next steps such as quitline counseling and nicotine replacement therapy.
Responsible AI
AI can make treatment more engaging and more available, but only if it is safe. Our AI-enabled products are designed with:
Clinician-approved content
Health information comes from a fixed library reviewed by experts, not generated freely.
Layered safeguards
Every response is screened for safety and fidelity to evidence-based practice before it is delivered.
Human oversight
Conversations are reviewed by trained staff during research testing.
Privacy and security
Data is handled on HIPAA-compliant infrastructure.
By the numbers
Our research partners
University of Houston
Butler Hospital/Brown University
Work with us
We partner with health systems, psychiatric hospitals, quitline providers, and researchers.