Effects of Implementing a Program to Develop Emotional Skills and Post-traumatic Growth in Adolescents and Young Adults Receiving Child Welfare Services-a Pilot Study in the Haute-Loire Department

NCT07334704 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: RIPH3_PEREIRA_JEMotion43
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 32
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

Adolescents and young adults receiving child welfare services constitute a vulnerable population, with an overrepresentation of mental health issues and past trauma, often exacerbated by a difficult transition to independence. Current support focuses mainly on material needs, lacking specific interventions targeting psychological resilience. This study draws on literature demonstrating that the development of emotional skills and post-traumatic growth are major protective factors promoting psychosocial adaptation and mental health.

Conditions

Child Protection Service; Child Welfare

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Emotional Competence

  score assessed by Emotional Skills Profile. 45 items from this instrument assess the management of one's own emotions. 15 subscale covers five skills : identifying, understanding, expressing, regulating, and using emotions, over 3 targets : self / others / context Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale. The total ESP score ranges from 45 to 225 (45 items rated from 1 to 5) and reflects the overall level of emotional skills, with a low score indicating poorly developed skills, a medium score indicating adequate emotional functioning, and a high score indicating good abilities to identify, express, regulate, and use emotions.

  Baseline and 6 months

• post-traumatic growth

  Score assessed by Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) This 21-item questionnaire measures perceived positive psychological changes following adversity. It covers five dimensions: relationships with others, personal strength, new possibilities, spiritual changes, and appreciation of life. The score is calculated by adding up the scores for the 21 items (rated from 0 = no change to 5 = very significant change), giving a total score between 0 and 105. Subscale scores can also be obtained by adding up the items corresponding to each of the five dimensions. A low score indicates little perceived positive change after the event, a moderate score indicates partial growth, and a high score indicates significant positive psychological transformation.

  Baseline and 6 months

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• Mental well-being

  Baseline, 1 week before intervention and 6 months

• Psychological distress

  Baseline, 1 week before intervention and 6 months

• executive functions

  Baseline, 1 week before intervention and 6 months

• Attention

  Baseline, 1 week before intervention and 6 months

• working memory

  Baseline, 1 week before intervention and 6 months

Study Arms (2)

Intervention Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participation in a structured 6-week program focused on emotional skills development and psychoeducation on post-traumatic growth (JEMotion43 program).

Other: Questionnaire and Physical Exam; Other: Program JEMotion

Control Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Use, over the same period, of a mobile app promoting mental health (WeCare / Care Island).

Other: Questionnaire and Physical Exam; Other: mobile app

Interventions

Questionnaire and Physical Exam OTHER

completion of all questionnaires : * l'Adverse Childhood Experiences-International Questionnaire * Benevolent Childhood Experiences * Emotional Competency Profile * psychological distress (K6) * Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale * Post traumatic Growth Inventory * Attention Assessment Tests * Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale * Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function

Control Group; Intervention Group

Program JEMotion OTHER

Programm JEMotion : 6-week emotional skills development and psychoeducation program. It consists of 8 modules of 2 hours each. The program is structured around a variety of activities based on pedagogical and experiential principles. It includes enriching emotional vocabulary, identifying emotional components, and exploring their functional value.

Intervention Group

mobile app OTHER

Mobile app promoting mental health for teens aged 14 to 17. It is a gamified, self-guided 6-week digital program (about 1 hour per week), incorporating techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy, positive psychology, and lifestyle medicine. The game offers a narrative journey through an imaginary world consisting of six islands, each corresponding to a health and well-being theme: physical activity, stress management, sleep, addictive behaviors, emotional regulation, automatic thoughts, and self-compassion. Side quests also address balanced eating and the integration of positive psychology practices into everyday life. The player takes on the role of a hero accompanied by their guide, tasked with restoring the vital balance of the islands threatened by pollution and destruction. The player must clean up the islands, recycle waste into seeds, regenerate nature, and interact with totem animals, which impart psychoeducational lessons related to mental health.

Control Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 15 Years - 21 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Minors: \> 15 to \< 18 years old:
• Be taken in or accompanied by a child protection service.
• Have given informed consent to participate in the study.
• Have obtained authorization from those with parental authority.
• Young adults aged ≥ 18 to 21:
• Have signed a young adult contract (CJM) with the Child Welfare Service (ASE).
• Have given their informed consent to participate in the study.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Centre Hospitalier Emile Roux: lead

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Surveys and Questionnaires; Restraint, Physical

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Data Collection; Epidemiologic Methods; Investigative Techniques; Health Care Evaluation Mechanisms; Quality of Health Care; Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation; Public Health; Environment and Public Health; Behavior Control; Therapeutics; Immobilization

Study Officials

• Mathieu PEREIRA

  Université Lumière Lyon 2

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Mathieu PEREIRA

CONTACT

04.71.50.34.55; Recherche.enfance@hauteloire.fr

Marie PEURIERE

CONTACT

04.71.04.35.38

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Pilot study, RIPH 3, controlled and non-randomized, with two parallel arms and a mixed methodological approach (quantitative and qualitative).

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 31, 2025
• First Posted: January 12, 2026
• Study Start: February 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2027
• Last Updated: February 11, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-02