Evaluation of a Digital Application and a Guide for Promoting Subjective Well-Being and Resilience in Colombian Youths: A Randomized Clinical Trial

This study is a randomized clinical trial designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a mobile mental health application (Shadow's Edge) and a printed self-awareness guide (GSEA - Guide to Self-Awareness) in improving subjective well-being and emotional resilience among Colombian youth. The study was conducted in response to the growing demand for accessible, evidence-based mental health tools in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where structural barriers such as inequality, poverty, and conflict limit access to traditional mental health services. The COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted the need for remote, scalable solutions to address emotional well-being in youth populations.

Shadow's Edge is a narrative-based digital tool developed by the nonprofit Digging Deep Project. It combines principles from narrative therapy, positive psychology, and existential psychology. Through writing prompts and creative expression in a post-apocalyptic fictional setting, users are guided to explore their emotions and build resilience. The game environment fosters engagement by allowing users to rebuild a city devastated by a storm-a metaphor for personal adversity. It has been previously evaluated in different contexts, with promising results in mental health promotion and resilience-building among adolescents.

The Guide to Self-Awareness (GSEA), developed as a printed complement to the app, incorporates socio-emotional learning strategies to deepen reflection. It includes structured exercises that promote mindfulness, emotional regulation, goal-setting, empathy, and communication skills. Both tools were culturally adapted to the Colombian context between 2021 and 2022, involving feedback from local adolescents and youth leaders.

A total of 305 young people expressed interest in the study through an open call disseminated via youth organizations. From these, 210 met the eligibility criteria and were randomized into three groups using the randomizeR package in R. The eligibility criteria included being between 18 and 22 years old, residing in Colombia for at least 6 months, and not being regular users of high-action video games (based on guidance from the app developers, who indicated that such users may have lower engagement with narrative-based tools). Participants with prior experience using Shadow's Edge were excluded. The final sample included 184 participants.

The groups were structured as follows: