StressFERNNCT06597032
The Resilience Challenge: Fostering Emotional Resilience During a Time of National Stress
A study testing Resilience Challenge in people with Stress and Positive Affect, run by Northwestern University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to examine the effects of an online positive psychological intervention on positive emotion, anxiety, depression, feelings of social isolation, sleep disturbance and a sense of meaning and purpose in the general public. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Stress, Positive Affect
- What is being tested?
- Resilience Challenge
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 11,659 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 27 Sep 2024to 1 Apr 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Over 18 years old, Access to device connected to the internet
Who cannot join
- Under 18 years old
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Chicago, Illinois, 06011
About this study
Official title: The Resilience Challenge: FERN (Fostering Emotional Resilience During a Time of National Stress)
The goal of this clinical trial is to examine the effects of an online positive psychological intervention on positive emotion, anxiety, depression, feelings of social isolation, sleep disturbance and a sense of meaning and purpose in the general public. The main question it aims to answer is:
Will the practice of positive emotion skills via a self-guided online platform reduce feelings of anxiety, depression, social isolation, and sleep disturbance, as well as increase well-being, positive emotion, a sense of meaning and purpose, life satisfaction, and general self-efficacy?
Participants will take part in an online positive psychological skill learning intervention for 6-8 weeks. Prior to beginning, immediately after, and 4 weeks after, participants will fill out measures of their wellbeing.
- Conditions
- Stress, Positive Affect
- Being tested
- Resilience Challenge
- Keywords
- Positive Affect, Resilience Challenge, Positive Psychology, Stress
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Resilience ChallengeBehavioural
We previously have tested this online program in people facing health- and work-related stressors (e.g., dementia caregivers, healthcare workers), and in 2020 we enrolled adults in a test of the online program to support coping with the stress of the COVID pandemic. This intervention has been tailored for a widespread, public audience (e.g., we have added a few other safety measures including limits on public forum posting and have clarified wording on some of the intervention content to make it clearer and easier to understand).
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Resilience Challenge | Experimental | The Resilience Challenge Study is an online program containing a series of positive emotion skills for individuals experiencing stress and distress during their everyday life. The online program specifically targets positive emotion and offers an array of skills in a self-guided online delivery platform. Participants will, over the course of 6-8 weeks, access weekly skill lessons, daily homework, and daily emotion reporting. The skill lessons will include: positive events, savoring, gratitude, everyday mindfulness, mindfulness meditation, positive reappraisal, self-compassion, personal strengths, and attainable goals. Receives: Behavioral: Resilience Challenge |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
PROMIS Positive Affect CAT
Measured: At baseline, after completion of 6-8 week intervention, and 4 weeks later
Secondary outcomes (7)
PROMIS Depression CAT
Measured: At baseline, after completion of 6-8 week intervention, and 4 weeks later
PROMIS Anxiety CAT
Measured: At baseline, after completion of 6-8 week intervention, and 4 weeks later
PROMIS Meaning and Purpose CAT
Measured: At baseline, after completion of 6-8 week intervention, and 4 weeks later
PROMIS Social Isolation CAT
Measured: At baseline, after completion of 6-8 week intervention, and 4 weeks later
PROMIS Sleep Disturbance CAT
Measured: At baseline, after completion of 6-8 week intervention, and 4 weeks later
PROMIS General Self-Efficacy CAT
Measured: At baseline, after completion of 6-8 week intervention, and 4 weeks later
PROMIS General Life Satisfaction CAT
Measured: At baseline, after completion of 6-8 week intervention, and 4 weeks later
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted19 Sep 2024
- Study start27 Sep 2024
- Primary completion31 Jan 2025
- Study completion1 Apr 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for StressStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Northwestern UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 11,659 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Northwestern University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Judith Moskowitz, Northwestern University
- Investigators
- Judith T Moskowitz, Principal investigator, Northwestern University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06597032
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- STU00222090
- Acronym
- FERN
- Status last verified
- May 2025
- First submitted
- 11 Sep 2024
- Last updated
- 7 May 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 7 May 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Resilience Challenge: FERN (Fostering Emotional Resilience During a Time of National Stress)
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06597032
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- FERN / STU00222090
- Conditions
- Stress, Positive Affect
- Keywords
- Positive Affect, Resilience Challenge, Positive Psychology, Stress
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 11,659 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Northwestern UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 27 Sep 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Jan 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 1 Apr 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 19 Sep 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this clinical trial is to examine the effects of an online positive psychological intervention on positive emotion, anxiety, depression, feelings of social isolation, sleep disturbance and a sense of meaning and purpose in the general public. The main question it aims to answer is:
Will the practice of positive emotion skills via a self-guided online platform reduce feelings of anxiety, depression, social isolation, and sleep disturbance, as well as increase well-being, positive emotion, a sense of meaning and purpose, life satisfaction, and general self-efficacy?
Participants will take part in an online positive psychological skill learning intervention for 6-8 weeks. Prior to beginning, immediately after, and 4 weeks after, participants will fill out measures of their wellbeing.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Resilience Challenge | Experimental | Behavioral: Resilience ChallengeThe Resilience Challenge Study is an online program containing a series of positive emotion skills for individuals experiencing stress and distress during their everyday life. The online program specifically targets positive emotion and offers an array of skills in a self-guided online delivery platform. Participants will, over the course of 6-8 weeks, access weekly skill lessons, daily homework, and daily emotion reporting. The skill lessons will include: positive events, savoring, gratitude, everyday mindfulness, mindfulness meditation, positive reappraisal, self-compassion, personal strengths, and attainable goals. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Over 18 years old, Access to device connected to the internet
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Under 18 years old
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Resilience ChallengeWe previously have tested this online program in people facing health- and work-related stressors (e.g., dementia caregivers, healthcare workers), and in 2020 we enrolled adults in a test of the online program to support coping with the stress of the COVID pandemic. This intervention has been tailored for a widespread, public audience (e.g., we have added a few other safety measures including limits on public forum posting and have clarified wording on some of the intervention content to make it clearer and easier to understand). | Behavioural | Resilience Challenge |
Primary outcome
PROMIS Positive Affect CAT
Time frame: At baseline, after completion of 6-8 week intervention, and 4 weeks later
7 secondary outcomes
PROMIS Depression CAT
Time frame: At baseline, after completion of 6-8 week intervention, and 4 weeks later
PROMIS Anxiety CAT
Time frame: At baseline, after completion of 6-8 week intervention, and 4 weeks later
PROMIS Meaning and Purpose CAT
Time frame: At baseline, after completion of 6-8 week intervention, and 4 weeks later
PROMIS Social Isolation CAT
Time frame: At baseline, after completion of 6-8 week intervention, and 4 weeks later
PROMIS Sleep Disturbance CAT
Time frame: At baseline, after completion of 6-8 week intervention, and 4 weeks later
PROMIS General Self-Efficacy CAT
Time frame: At baseline, after completion of 6-8 week intervention, and 4 weeks later
PROMIS General Life Satisfaction CAT
Time frame: At baseline, after completion of 6-8 week intervention, and 4 weeks later
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 7 May 2025.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Judith T Moskowitz principal investigator
Northwestern University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Resilience Challenge in people with Stress and Positive Affect, run by Northwestern University at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 7 May 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
PROMIS Positive Affect CAT (time frame: At baseline, after completion of 6-8 week intervention, and 4 weeks later). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 7 May 2025.