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Completed

NCT Number: NCT04403126

To Increase Psychological Well-being by the Implementation of Forgiveness Education

This project examines the development of psychological well-being in children and teachers through a 12- week forgiveness education program conducted in three conflict zones of the world, Northern Ireland, Israel/Palestine, and Taiwan.

A 12-week forgiveness education program will be investigated in elementary schools in three conflict zones of the world, Northern Ireland, Israel/Palestine, and Taiwan. The responsibilities of the sub-team in each of the three research sites will be:

* a. recruiting schools, assisting the teacher training before the forgiveness education program starts * b. shepherding teachers, doing the fidelity checks, administering the instruments and collecting data during the forgiveness education program.

Once a school gives permission to be part of this study, the forgiveness curriculum will be implemented as a 12-week standard curriculum for the grade 5 (US equivalency) students. Teachers of the grade 5 classes will be trained to administer the program. Teachers, students and their parents must give the consent to take part in the measures of the study.

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Key information

Conditions

Anger Anxiety Anxiety Disorders Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Depression Depressive Symptoms Mental Disorders

Age range

10 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, United States

About this study

Classrooms participating in this study will be randomly assigned to either an experimental or a control group. The experimental group will receive the 1st forgiveness intervention for 12 weeks and then the control group will turn into an experimental group to receive a 2nd forgiveness intervention for 12 weeks.

In order to assess if such education increases psychological well-being in students (children) and teachers (adults), teachers and students in both groups will receive the same measures for four times in the study: within one week before the 1st forgiveness intervention, within one week after the 1st forgiveness intervention, within one week after the 2nd forgiveness intervention, four weeks after the 2nd forgiveness intervention.

The instruments include: for teachers, the assessment data will consist of the Enright Forgiveness Inventory Short Form (EFI-30), the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS): Anger, Anxiety, and Depression scales, the Ethnic Prejudice Scale, the Herth Hope Index, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, a Classroom Cooperation scale, and a Cross-Cultural Exit Interview (written questionnaire). For students, the assessment data will consist of the Enright Forgiveness Inventory for Children (EFI-C), the PROMIS measures for pediatric self-report (ages 8-17): Anger, Anxiety, and Depressive Symptoms scales, the Ethnic Prejudice Scale for children, the Children's Hope Scale, the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (School Form), and academic achievement (likely to be scores/grades of Math, writing and reading in their own language). After the 2nd forgiveness intervention, select participants (teachers and children) will take part in individual interviews.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Students in 5th grade (US equivalency, aged 10-12)
  • Teachers in 5th grade (US equivalency)

Exclusion criteria

  • Students who are in grades other than 5th grade
  • Teachers who are in grades other than 5th grade

Treatment and study plan

forgiveness education intervention

Other

The forgiveness education intervention primarily teaches the concept of forgiveness through stories. We chose the kind of stories that should appeal to children ages 10 through 12. Each lesson is planned according to the following procedure: story-telling/movie-watching, discussion, and in-class activities.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in forgiveness in adult (teachers) after forgiveness intervention assessed by EFI-30.

    Time frame: Baseline, up to 14 weeks, up to 31 weeks, up to 34 weeks.

    Enright Forgiveness Inventory Short Form (EFI-30), scores range from 30 to 180 with higher scores representing higher levels of forgiveness, which is a better outcome.

  2. Change in forgiveness in child (students) after forgiveness intervention assessed by EFI-C.

    Time frame: Baseline, up to 14 weeks, up to 31 weeks, up to 34 weeks.

    Enright Forgiveness Inventory for Children (EFI-C): scores range from 30 to 120 with higher scores representing higher levels of forgiveness, which is a better outcome.

  3. Change in anger in adult (teachers) after forgiveness intervention assessed by PROMIS Measures.

    Time frame: Baseline, up to 14 weeks, up to 31 weeks, up to 34 weeks.

    The Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Anger Short Form: scores range from 5 to 25 with higher scores representing higher levels of anger, which is a worse outcome.

  4. Change in anger in child (students) after forgiveness intervention assessed by PROMIS Measures.

    Time frame: Baseline, up to 14 weeks, up to 31 weeks, up to 34 weeks.

    The Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Measures for Pediatric (ages 8-17) Anger Short Form: scores range from 5 to 25 with higher scores representing higher levels of anger, which is a worse outcome.

  5. Change in anxiety in adult (teachers) after forgiveness intervention assessed by PROMIS Measures.

    Time frame: Baseline, up to 14 weeks, up to 31 weeks, up to 34 weeks.

    The Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Anxiety Short Form: scores range from 5 to 40 with higher scores representing higher levels of anxiety, which is a worse outcome.

  6. Change in anxiety in child (students) after forgiveness intervention assessed by PROMIS Measures.

    Time frame: Baseline, up to 14 weeks, up to 31 weeks, up to 34 weeks.

    The Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Measures for Pediatric (ages 8-17) Anxiety Short Form: scores range from 5 to 40 with higher scores representing higher levels of anxiety, which is a worse outcome.

  7. Change in depression in adult (teachers) after forgiveness intervention assessed by PROMIS Measures.

    Time frame: Baseline, up to 14 weeks, up to 31 weeks, up to 34 weeks.

    The Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Depression Short Form, scores range from 5 to 40 with higher scores representing higher levels of depression, which is a worse outcome.

  8. Change in depression in child (students) after forgiveness intervention assessed by PROMIS Measures.

    Time frame: Baseline, up to 14 weeks, up to 31 weeks, up to 34 weeks.

    The Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Measures for Pediatric (ages 8-17) Depressive Symptoms Short Form: scores range from 5 to 40 with higher scores representing higher levels of depression, which is a worse outcome.

  9. Change in prejudice in adult (teachers) after forgiveness intervention assessed by the Ethnic Prejudice Scales.

    Time frame: Baseline, up to 14 weeks, up to 31 weeks, up to 34 weeks.

    The Ethnic Prejudice Scale: scores range from 20 to 100 with higher scores representing higher levels of prejudice, which is a worse outcome.

  10. Change in prejudice in child (students) after forgiveness intervention assessed by the Ethnic Prejudice Scales.

    Time frame: Baseline, up to 14 weeks, up to 31 weeks, up to 34 weeks.

    Ethnic Prejudice Scales: wording changes in the adult form of the Ethnic Prejudice Scale will be made to bring it to the level of 5th grade students (aged 10-12). Scores range from 20 to 100 with higher scores representing higher levels of prejudice, which is a worse outcome.

  11. Change in hope in adult (teachers) after forgiveness intervention assessed by Herth Hope Index.

    Time frame: Baseline, up to 14 weeks, up to 31 weeks, up to 34 weeks.

    Herth Hope Index: scores range from 12 to 48 with higher scores representing more hopefulness, which is a better outcome.

  12. Change in hope in child (students) after forgiveness intervention assessed by Children's Hope Scale.

    Time frame: Baseline, up to 14 weeks, up to 31 weeks, up to 34 weeks.

    The Children's Hope Scale: scores range from 6 to 36with higher scores representing more hopefulness, which is a better outcome.

  13. Change in self-esteem in adult (teachers) after forgiveness intervention assessed by the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale.

    Time frame: Baseline, up to 14 weeks, up to 31 weeks, up to 34 weeks.

    The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale: scores range from 10 to 40 with higher scores representing higher self-esteem, which is a better outcome.

  14. Change in self-esteem in child (students) after forgiveness intervention assessed by the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory.

    Time frame: Baseline, up to 14 weeks, up to 31 weeks, up to 34 weeks.

    Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory Short Form: scores range from 0 to 25 with higher scores representing higher self-esteem, which is a better outcome.

  15. Change in classroom cooperation in students after forgiveness intervention assessed by the Classroom Cooperation Scale.

    Time frame: Baseline, up to 14 weeks, up to 31 weeks, up to 34 weeks.

    The Classroom Cooperation Scale is teachers' measure of student cooperation, scores range from 10 to 40 with higher scores representing higher level of cooperation, which is a better outcome.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Other

Collaborators

  • Hebrew University of Jerusalem
  • National Chung Cheng University, Taiwan
  • Stranmillis University College, Northern Ireland

Registry information

Official study title

Implementation of Forgiveness Education to Increase Psychological Well-being in Three Culturally Distinct Areas: Northern Ireland, Israel/Palestine, and Taiwan

Important dates

Study start
2021
Primary completion
2022
Study completion
2022
First posted
May 27, 2020
Registry last updated
Aug 4, 2022

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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