The FACE Self-help App for Fostering Resilience

NCT ID: NCT05824182

Last Updated: 2025-12-24

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

167 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2023-05-31

Study Completion Date

2025-01-23

Brief Summary

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The FACE self-help app is an online intervention for young adults with Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). It was developed based on well-established cognitive-behavioural therapy principles. The self-help app contains two components, one targeting emotion regulation (ER), the other social information processing (SIP).

Detailed Description

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The FACE self-help app is an online intervention for young adults with Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). It was developed based on well-established cognitive-behavioural therapy principles. The self-help app contains two components, one targeting emotion regulation (ER), the other social information processing (SIP).

The goal of the present study is to evaluate the efficacy of the FACE self-help app, which aims to foster resilience and improve well-being by enhancing emotion regulation, social skills and minimizing biases in social information processing.

The primary objective is to examine the efficacy of the FACE self-help app for improving resilience and well-being in young adults with a history of ACEs compared to a waiting list control group and to examine the stability of a possible effect.

Secondary objectives are to test

1. the differential efficacy of the self- and emotion regulation and the social skills and social information processing component
2. the effects of the FACE self-help app on real life data in affective states, social interactions, the use of coping strategies and state resilience.

To assess real life data, additionally to questionnaires (Q), an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) will be conducted in three one-week episodes, with 6 daily assessments each.

Procedures: After giving informed consent, participants will receive the online questionnaires and one week of EMA (t0, week 1). Then, participants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention or waiting list control group. Within the intervention group, participants are randomly assigned to start with the ER or SIP component. After 5 weeks of using the first component of the FACE self-help app, participants fill out the intermediate measure (t1, week 7). After another week of EMA, the next component (ER or SIP) of the self-help app is available for 5 weeks. Subsequently, the post-measurement and the last EMA period start (t2, week 13). This results in a total intervention period of 11 weeks. A follow-up measure will be conducted after another 11 weeks (t4, week 25). Participants will receive online guidance from trained e-coaches.

Conditions

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Adverse Childhood Experiences

Keywords

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Adverse Childhood Experiences Psychosocial Functioning Emotion Regulation Social Information Processing Online self-help

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Intervention Group

Intervention group: FACE self-help app with guidance

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

FACE self-help App

Intervention Type DEVICE

The FACE self-help app was developed based on well-established non-invasive psychological principles that have been used in other web-based self-help interventions. The app consists of two component, emotion regulation and social information processing/social skills with four modules each. Each module includes readings describing scientific knowledge about ACEs and ACEs related topics, as well as exercises to encourage participants to actively reflect on what was learned in the readings and to apply their knowledge and practice skills. Each module is divided in several submodules that include readings and exercises.

control group

Waiting list control group with questionnaires and EMA

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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FACE self-help App

The FACE self-help app was developed based on well-established non-invasive psychological principles that have been used in other web-based self-help interventions. The app consists of two component, emotion regulation and social information processing/social skills with four modules each. Each module includes readings describing scientific knowledge about ACEs and ACEs related topics, as well as exercises to encourage participants to actively reflect on what was learned in the readings and to apply their knowledge and practice skills. Each module is divided in several submodules that include readings and exercises.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Self-reported ACEs
* An informed consent
* The possession of a smartphone
* Mastery of the German language.
* Age between 18 and 25

Exclusion Criteria

* Inability to follow the procedures of the study, e.g., due to comprehension problems, visual impairment, lack of sufficient motor skills or severe psychological or somatic disorders which require immediate treatment which impedes the continuous work on the self-help programme. These points will be discussed with the participant in the screening telephone call.
* Acute suicidality.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

25 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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University of Bern

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Jeannette Brodbeck

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Jeannette Brodbeck

Prof. Dr.

Responsibility Role SPONSOR_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Jeannette Brodbeck, Professor

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland

Locations

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University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland

Olten, Canton of Solothurn, Switzerland

Site Status

Countries

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Switzerland

References

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Reference Type DERIVED
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Other Identifiers

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SNF_197731_B

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id