NCT05824182

The FACE Self-help App for Fostering Resilience

Fostering Resilience and Well-being in Young Adults With a History of Adverse Childhood Experiences - the FACE Self-help App

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 167 (actual)
• Sponsor: Jeannette Brodbeck · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 25 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

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

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

• Adverse Childhood Experiences

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	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.

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-05-31
• Primary completion: 2025-01-23
• Completion: 2025-01-23
• First posted: 2023-04-21
• Last updated: 2025-12-24

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Switzerland