ERFs Game-based Assessment in AYAs: Validation of Game-based Assessment of Emotion Regulation Abilities

Primary outcomes

1. Emotion regulation

   Time frame: Baseline

   The Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ-short) is an 18-item scale assessing nine different emotion regulation strategies, namely Self-blame, Other-blame, Rumination, Catastrophizing, Positive refocusing, Planning, Positive reappraisal, Putting into perspective and Acceptance. Children and adolescents were asked to express the frequency of using each strategy on a 5-point Likert-type scale, from 1 ("almost never") to 5 ("almost always"). Higher scores on adaptive strategies (e.g., positive reappraisal, refocus on planning, positive refocusing, putting into perspective, acceptance) are equivalent to a better outcome (more adaptive coping). Higher scores on maladaptive strategies (e.g., rumination, catastrophizing, self-blame, other-blame) are equivalent to worse outcomes (less adaptive coping).

2. Behavioral difficulties

   Time frame: Baseline

   The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a brief behavioural screening questionnaire for children aged 2 to 17 years old, encompassing emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, peer relationship problems, and prosocial behavior.

   Total difficulties score: Sum of all subscales except Prosocial → Range: 0 to 40. Prosocial score is reported separately → Range: 0 to 10. Higher scores on total difficulties and the four problem subscales are equivalent to worse outcomes. Higher scores on the prosocial subscale are equivalent to better outcomes.

3. Stress

   Time frame: Baseline

   The Adolescent Stress Scale (ADOSS) will be used to capture students' level of stress in the following domains: personal, academic, family, and social. Total score ranges from 20 to 100, with higher scores indicating higher levels of stress.