ShameEMBER-1NCT07206966
Validation of the Swedish Translation of a Brief Shame Measure, the External and Internal Shame Scale
An observational study of Shame, run by Uppsala University at 1 site in Sweden.
Trial summary
Shame is a normal emotion that people sometimes have. Experiencing a lot of shame has however been found to have a link to ill mental and somatic health. Therefore it is of interest to have a brief way of measuring shame. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Shame
- How many people
- 350 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSweden
- Study dates
- 23 Oct 2025to Aug 2026
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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
Study population: Community sample + a clinical sample from the NCK Outpatient Clinic, Uppsala University Hospital
Who may be able to join
- Must be 18 years of age or above
- Must be capable of communicating in Swedish
- Participants in clinical samples must be patients at one of the clinics involved in the study.
Who cannot join
- None.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Sweden1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Uppsala University Hospital
Uppsala, S-75185
About this study
Official title: Validation of the Swedish Translation of a Brief Shame Measure, the External and Internal Shame Scale (EISS)
Shame is a normal emotion that people sometimes have. Experiencing a lot of shame has however been found to have a link to ill mental and somatic health. Therefore it is of interest to have a brief way of measuring shame. External and Internal shame scale (EISS) is a questionnaire with 8 items that is available in several languages, but not yet in Swedish. The researchers have translated it to Swedish and will investigate how well the Swedish version works for measuring shame. 300 participants are enrolled via social media and asked to complete the EISS as well as two other scales for comparison. Participants are also asked about their age and gender. In addition 50 participants will be recruited from an outpatient clinic in order to check how the scale works in clinical settings. The researchers will use the answers to statistically calculate the scientific properties of the EISS.
- Conditions
- Shame
- Keywords
- Psychometrics, Psychological Tests, Shame, Patient Health Questionnaire, Surveys and Questionnaires
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| General Population | Participants Recruited through Social Media | |
| Women Subjected to Intimate Partner Violence/Sexual Assault | Patients at the NCK Outpatient Clinic at Uppsala University Hospital |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
EISS
External and Internal Shame Scale, an 8-item measure with a total scale ranging from 0 to 32 points, and two subscales of internal and external shame, ranging from 0 to 16 each. Self-assessment of how often one feels what is described in each item, ranging from "never" (0) to "always" (4).
Measured: Within a week of enrollment
Secondary outcomes (2)
ISS
Internalized Shame Scale consists of 30 items, of which 24 measure internalized shame and 6 measure self esteem. Self assessment of "how often one feels or experiences" each of the items, ranging from "never" (0) to "almost always" (4).
Measured: Within a week of enrollment
PHQ-9
Patient Health Questionnaire - 9 item version is a widely used depression screening tool, measuring levels of depression symptoms. Self-assessment of how often one has been bothered by the symptoms in question over the past 2 weeks, ranging from "not at all" (0) to "nearly every day" (3). Total range 0-27.
Measured: Within a week of enrollment
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted3 Oct 2025
- Study start23 Oct 2025
- Primary completionAug 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionAug 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for ShameStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Uppsala 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
- Observational
- Observational model
- Ecologic or community
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Enrolment
- 350 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Uppsala University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Carolina Överlien, professor, Principal investigator, The National Centre for Knowledge on Men's Violence Against Women, Uppsala university
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07206966
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- EMBER-1
- Acronym
- EMBER-1
- Status last verified
- Apr 2026
- First submitted
- 15 Sep 2025
- Last updated
- 13 Apr 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 13 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Validation of the Swedish Translation of a Brief Shame Measure, the External and Internal Shame Scale (EISS)
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07206966
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- EMBER-1 / EMBER-1
- Conditions
- Shame
- Keywords
- Psychometrics, Psychological Tests, Shame, Patient Health Questionnaire, Surveys and Questionnaires
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 350 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Uppsala UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 23 Oct 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Aug 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Aug 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 3 Oct 2025 (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.
Shame is a normal emotion that people sometimes have. Experiencing a lot of shame has however been found to have a link to ill mental and somatic health. Therefore it is of interest to have a brief way of measuring shame. External and Internal shame scale (EISS) is a questionnaire with 8 items that is available in several languages, but not yet in Swedish. The researchers have translated it to Swedish and will investigate how well the Swedish version works for measuring shame. 300 participants are enrolled via social media and asked to complete the EISS as well as two other scales for comparison. Participants are also asked about their age and gender. In addition 50 participants will be recruited from an outpatient clinic in order to check how the scale works in clinical settings. The researchers will use the answers to statistically calculate the scientific properties of the EISS.
Study design
- Observational model
- Ecologic or community
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| General Population | – | –Participants Recruited through Social Media |
| Women Subjected to Intimate Partner Violence/Sexual Assault | – | –Patients at the NCK Outpatient Clinic at Uppsala University Hospital |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- Community sample + a clinical sample from the NCK Outpatient Clinic, Uppsala University Hospital
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Must be 18 years of age or above
- Must be capable of communicating in Swedish
- Participants in clinical samples must be patients at one of the clinics involved in the study.
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- None.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
EISS
Time frame: Within a week of enrollment
External and Internal Shame Scale, an 8-item measure with a total scale ranging from 0 to 32 points, and two subscales of internal and external shame, ranging from 0 to 16 each. Self-assessment of how often one feels what is described in each item, ranging from "never" (0) to "always" (4).
2 secondary outcomes
ISS
Time frame: Within a week of enrollment
PHQ-9
Time frame: Within a week of enrollment
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 13 Apr 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
Related trials for Shame
Active, not recruiting
Non-Inferiority Trial of TrIGR for PTSD
PTSD
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Mitigating the Impact of Stigma and Shame Among People Living With HIV and Substance Use Disorders
Hiv, Substance Use Disorders
Not yet recruiting
Shame, Resilience and Well-being After Intimate Partner Violence: an Intervention Study With Replicated Single-Subject Design.
Intimate Partner Violence, Resilience, Psychological
Not yet recruitingObservational study
Resilience and Recovery After Intimate Partner Violence - Evaluation of the EMBER-IPV Protocol
Intimate Partner Violence, Intimate Partner Violence Against Women
RecruitingObservational study
How a Resilience-Focused Intervention is Perceived by Women Subjected to Domestic Violence
Shame, Intimate Partner Violence
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.
Carolina Överlien, professor principal investigator
The National Centre for Knowledge on Men's Violence Against Women, Uppsala university
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Shame, run by Uppsala University at 1 site in Sweden.
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 3 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 13 Apr 2026. 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 Sweden. 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Tove Filén (+46186170785, tove.filen@nck.uu.se), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
EISS (time frame: Within a week of enrollment). 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 13 Apr 2026.