Psychological Well-beingREACH-FORNCT07905833
REACH Forgiveness Group Intervention Adapted for Refugees (REACH-FOR)
A study testing REACH-FOR in people with Psychological Well-being and Unforgiveness, run by Universidad Pontificia Comillas at 1 site in Spain.
Trial summary
The goal of this study was to find out whether REACH-FOR, a group program that helps people work toward forgiving a past offense, is useful for refugees, including people who cannot read or write well. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Psychological Well-being, Unforgiveness, Refugees
- What is being tested?
- REACH-FOR
- Type of treatment
- Pill or oral medicine, Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 18 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSpain
- Study dates
- 1 Dec 2018to 30 Jan 2019
- 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
- (1) Legal age (18 years or older).
- (2) Asylum seeker or refugee assisted by the temporary reception center where the study took place.
Who cannot join
- None
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Efficacy of the REACH Forgiveness Group Intervention Adapted for Refugees: A Randomized Waiting-List Controlled Trial
The goal of this study was to find out whether REACH-FOR, a group program that helps people work toward forgiving a past offense, is useful for refugees, including people who cannot read or write well. Many refugees have experienced violence and injustice, and holding on to resentment has been linked to poorer mental health. REACH-FOR adapts the REACH Forgiveness program (Recall, Empathize, Altruistic gift, Commit, Hold on) by replacing written exercises with oral, visual, and group activities and by using examples drawn from refugees' own stories. Eighteen adult refugees living in a temporary reception center in Portugal were randomly assigned to take part in REACH-FOR straight away or to join a waiting list and take part one week later. Participants answered questionnaires about unforgiveness, forgiveness, and well-being before and after the program and one month later.
Read the detailed description
REACH-FOR was developed through a community-based participatory research approach, drawing on a preliminary qualitative study with refugees and key informants, a literature review, and feedback from a community advisor and partner organization. It keeps the five-step REACH structure (Recall, Empathize, Altruistic gift, Commit, Hold on), the main objective of each session, and the overall dose of Worthington's (2006) group protocol: six 90-minute sessions over three consecutive days, delivered by the researcher with an interpreter for the participants' first language. Changes concerned accessibility and cultural fit rather than content.
In this randomized waiting-list controlled trial, 18 Somali refugees were randomized, stratified by sex, to immediate REACH-FOR (n = 9) or a one-week waiting list (n = 9). The waiting-list group received REACH-FOR after the post-waiting assessment. All participants completed a one-month follow-up. Questionnaires were available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, and Somali and were administered offline with KoBo Toolbox.
The intervention had previously been piloted (June 2018) in a non-randomized study with two groups of refugees (n = 23) at the same center; the pilot is reported in the same article but is not part of this registration.
- Conditions
- Psychological Well-being, Unforgiveness, Refugees
- Being tested
- REACH-FOR
- Keywords
- forgiveness, REACH Forgiveness, refugees, asylum seekers, group intervention, low literacy, community-based participatory research, well-being
- Medical subject headings
- Psychological Well-Being
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
REACH-FORBehavioural
Also called REACH Forgiveness adapted for refugees
Group-based forgiveness intervention adapted from Worthington's REACH Forgiveness model (Recall, Empathize, Altruistic gift, Commit, Hold on) for refugees, including people with low literacy. Six 90-minute sessions over three consecutive days (9 contact hours), delivered by the researcher with an interpreter for the participants' first language. Written exercises are replaced by oral, visual, and group activities, and examples are drawn from refugees' own accounts.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate REACH-FOR | Experimental | Participants received the REACH-FOR group intervention immediately after the baseline assessment (n = 9). Receives: Behavioral: REACH-FOR |
| Waiting-list control | Other | Participants waited one week without intervention and were then offered and received REACH-FOR (n = 9). Receives: Behavioral: REACH-FOR |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in Transgression-Related Interpersonal Motivations Inventory-12 (TRIM-12) Score From Baseline to Post-intervention
Revenge and avoidance motivations toward the offender of a specific offense identified by the participant (McCullough et al., 1998). 12 items rated 1-5; total score 12-60; higher scores indicate more unforgiveness.
Measured: Baseline and post-intervention or post-waiting period (approximately 1 week after baseline)
Change in Decisional Forgiveness Scale (DFS) Score From Baseline to Post-intervention
Intention to behave more forgivingly toward the specific offender (Worthington et al., 2007). 8 items rated 1-5; total score 8-40; higher scores indicate a firmer decision to forgive.
Measured: Baseline and post-intervention or post-waiting period (approximately 1 week after baseline)
Change in Emotional Forgiveness Scale (EFS) Score From Baseline to Post-intervention
Emotional forgiveness experienced toward the offender for the specific offense (Worthington et al., 2007). 8 items rated 1-5; total score 8-40; higher scores indicate more emotional forgiveness.
Measured: Baseline and post-intervention or post-waiting period (approximately 1 week after baseline)
Change in Trait Forgivingness Scale (TFS) Score From Baseline to Post-intervention
Disposition to forgive across time and situations (Berry et al., 2005). 10 items rated 1-5; total score 10-50; higher scores indicate greater forgivingness.
Measured: Baseline and post-intervention or post-waiting period (approximately 1 week after baseline)
Change in Mental Health Continuum - Short Form (MHC-SF) Score From Baseline to Post-intervention
Emotional, social, and psychological well-being over the past month (Keyes, 2005). 14 items rated 0-5; total score 0-70; higher scores indicate greater well-being.
Measured: Baseline and post-intervention or post-waiting period (approximately 1 week after baseline)
Secondary outcomes (5)
Change in Transgression-Related Interpersonal Motivations Inventory-12 (TRIM-12) Score From Baseline to 1-Month Follow-up
Revenge and avoidance motivations toward the offender of the specific offense. Total score 12-60; higher scores indicate more unforgiveness.
Measured: Baseline and 1 month after completing the intervention
Change in Decisional Forgiveness Scale (DFS) Score From Baseline to 1-Month Follow-up
Intention to behave more forgivingly toward the specific offender. Total score 8-40; higher scores indicate a firmer decision to forgive.
Measured: Baseline and 1 month after completing the intervention
Change in Emotional Forgiveness Scale (EFS) Score From Baseline to 1-Month Follow-up
Emotional forgiveness toward the offender for the specific offense. Total score 8-40; higher scores indicate more emotional forgiveness.
Measured: Baseline and 1 month after completing the intervention
Change in Trait Forgivingness Scale (TFS) Score From Baseline to 1-Month Follow-up
Disposition to forgive across time and situations. Total score 10-50; higher scores indicate greater forgivingness.
Measured: Baseline and 1 month after completing the intervention
Change in Mental Health Continuum - Short Form (MHC-SF) Score From Baseline to 1-Month Follow-up
Emotional, social, and psychological well-being over the past month. Total score 0-70; higher scores indicate greater well-being.
Measured: Baseline and 1 month after completing the intervention
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted30 Oct 2026
- Study start1 Dec 2018
- Primary completion30 Jan 2019
- Study completion30 Jan 2019
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Psychological Well-beingStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- 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
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Randomized waiting-list controlled trial. Participants were randomized, stratified by sex, to immediate REACH-FOR or to a one-week waiting list; the waiting-list group then received REACH-FOR.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 18 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Universidad Pontificia Comillas
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Angela Ordoñez Carabaño, Universidad Pontificia Comillas
- Investigators
- Ángela Ordóñez Carabaño, Ph.D., Principal investigator, Universidad Pontificia Comillas
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07905833
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 20260768
- Acronym
- REACH-FOR
- Status last verified
- Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 23 Oct 2026
- Last updated
- 30 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: De-identified data are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request; public sharing is restricted to protect a vulnerable refugee population.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 30 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Efficacy of the REACH Forgiveness Group Intervention Adapted for Refugees: A Randomized Waiting-List Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07905833
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- REACH-FOR / 20260768
- Conditions
- Psychological Well-being, Unforgiveness, Refugees
- Keywords
- forgiveness, REACH Forgiveness, refugees, asylum seekers, group intervention, low literacy, community-based participatory research, well-being
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 18 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Universidad Pontificia ComillasUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Dec 2018 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Jan 2019 (actual)
- Study completion
- 30 Jan 2019 (actual)
- First posted
- 30 Oct 2026 (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 study was to find out whether REACH-FOR, a group program that helps people work toward forgiving a past offense, is useful for refugees, including people who cannot read or write well. Many refugees have experienced violence and injustice, and holding on to resentment has been linked to poorer mental health. REACH-FOR adapts the REACH Forgiveness program (Recall, Empathize, Altruistic gift, Commit, Hold on) by replacing written exercises with oral, visual, and group activities and by using examples drawn from refugees' own stories. Eighteen adult refugees living in a temporary reception center in Portugal were randomly assigned to take part in REACH-FOR straight away or to join a waiting list and take part one week later. Participants answered questionnaires about unforgiveness, forgiveness, and well-being before and after the program and one month later.
Detailed description
REACH-FOR was developed through a community-based participatory research approach, drawing on a preliminary qualitative study with refugees and key informants, a literature review, and feedback from a community advisor and partner organization. It keeps the five-step REACH structure (Recall, Empathize, Altruistic gift, Commit, Hold on), the main objective of each session, and the overall dose of Worthington's (2006) group protocol: six 90-minute sessions over three consecutive days, delivered by the researcher with an interpreter for the participants' first language. Changes concerned accessibility and cultural fit rather than content.
In this randomized waiting-list controlled trial, 18 Somali refugees were randomized, stratified by sex, to immediate REACH-FOR (n = 9) or a one-week waiting list (n = 9). The waiting-list group received REACH-FOR after the post-waiting assessment. All participants completed a one-month follow-up. Questionnaires were available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, and Somali and were administered offline with KoBo Toolbox.
The intervention had previously been piloted (June 2018) in a non-randomized study with two groups of refugees (n = 23) at the same center; the pilot is reported in the same article but is not part of this registration.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Randomized waiting-list controlled trial. Participants were randomized, stratified by sex, to immediate REACH-FOR or to a one-week waiting list; the waiting-list group then received REACH-FOR.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate REACH-FOR | Experimental | Behavioral: REACH-FORParticipants received the REACH-FOR group intervention immediately after the baseline assessment (n = 9). |
| Waiting-list control | Other | Behavioral: REACH-FORParticipants waited one week without intervention and were then offered and received REACH-FOR (n = 9). |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- (1) Legal age (18 years or older).
- (2) Asylum seeker or refugee assisted by the temporary reception center where the study took place.
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.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| REACH-FORAlso: REACH Forgiveness adapted for refugeesGroup-based forgiveness intervention adapted from Worthington's REACH Forgiveness model (Recall, Empathize, Altruistic gift, Commit, Hold on) for refugees, including people with low literacy. Six 90-minute sessions over three consecutive days (9 contact hours), delivered by the researcher with an interpreter for the participants' first language. Written exercises are replaced by oral, visual, and group activities, and examples are drawn from refugees' own accounts. | Behavioural | Immediate REACH-FOR, Waiting-list control |
Primary outcome
Change in Transgression-Related Interpersonal Motivations Inventory-12 (TRIM-12) Score From Baseline to Post-intervention
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention or post-waiting period (approximately 1 week after baseline)
Revenge and avoidance motivations toward the offender of a specific offense identified by the participant (McCullough et al., 1998). 12 items rated 1-5; total score 12-60; higher scores indicate more unforgiveness.
Change in Decisional Forgiveness Scale (DFS) Score From Baseline to Post-intervention
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention or post-waiting period (approximately 1 week after baseline)
Intention to behave more forgivingly toward the specific offender (Worthington et al., 2007). 8 items rated 1-5; total score 8-40; higher scores indicate a firmer decision to forgive.
Change in Emotional Forgiveness Scale (EFS) Score From Baseline to Post-intervention
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention or post-waiting period (approximately 1 week after baseline)
Emotional forgiveness experienced toward the offender for the specific offense (Worthington et al., 2007). 8 items rated 1-5; total score 8-40; higher scores indicate more emotional forgiveness.
Change in Trait Forgivingness Scale (TFS) Score From Baseline to Post-intervention
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention or post-waiting period (approximately 1 week after baseline)
Disposition to forgive across time and situations (Berry et al., 2005). 10 items rated 1-5; total score 10-50; higher scores indicate greater forgivingness.
Change in Mental Health Continuum - Short Form (MHC-SF) Score From Baseline to Post-intervention
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention or post-waiting period (approximately 1 week after baseline)
Emotional, social, and psychological well-being over the past month (Keyes, 2005). 14 items rated 0-5; total score 0-70; higher scores indicate greater well-being.
5 secondary outcomes
Change in Transgression-Related Interpersonal Motivations Inventory-12 (TRIM-12) Score From Baseline to 1-Month Follow-up
Time frame: Baseline and 1 month after completing the intervention
Change in Decisional Forgiveness Scale (DFS) Score From Baseline to 1-Month Follow-up
Time frame: Baseline and 1 month after completing the intervention
Change in Emotional Forgiveness Scale (EFS) Score From Baseline to 1-Month Follow-up
Time frame: Baseline and 1 month after completing the intervention
Change in Trait Forgivingness Scale (TFS) Score From Baseline to 1-Month Follow-up
Time frame: Baseline and 1 month after completing the intervention
Change in Mental Health Continuum - Short Form (MHC-SF) Score From Baseline to 1-Month Follow-up
Time frame: Baseline and 1 month after completing the intervention
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 30 Oct 2026.
- Online assessment battery (KoBo Toolbox)Link provided by the sponsor.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. De-identified data are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request; public sharing is restricted to protect a vulnerable refugee population.
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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.
Ángela Ordóñez Carabaño, Ph.D. principal investigator
Universidad Pontificia Comillas
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing REACH-FOR in people with Psychological Well-being and Unforgiveness, run by Universidad Pontificia Comillas at 1 site in Spain.
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 2 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 30 Oct 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 Spain. 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?
Change in Transgression-Related Interpersonal Motivations Inventory-12 (TRIM-12) Score From Baseline to Post-intervention (time frame: Baseline and post-intervention or post-waiting period (approximately 1 week after baseline)). The study lists 5 primary outcomes in all. 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 30 Oct 2026.