- Will I be judged for what I write in this space?
- Will I be judged for what I write in the app?
- What is the main aim of this programme?
- Who developed Alena?
- What evidence is there that Alena's approach works?
- How do I give feedback?
- How long with this programme run for?
- If I decide I no longer want to take part, what do I do?
- Can I refer someone I know?
- How is my data stored?
- Will you delete my data if I ask you to?
- What is this £100 Amazon voucher prize draw?
1. Will I be judged for what I write in this space?
No.
Please know that we understand what it can feel like to be anxious, and want to create a safe and comfortable space for you to give feedback. We are here to learn from you, the expert. We really appreciate your time and support, and we respect and understand if you want to take it slow, take breaks or 'pass' on certain questions in surveys.
Everyone here is working towards the same goal: making Alena better. All feedback you share, whether it is widely experienced or unique to you, helps us achieve this goal.
2. Will I be judged for what I write in the app?
No. Your app data is fully anonymized and encrypted.
We will however read your survey feedback answers, and we may invite you to elaborate on them by email or, if something very surprising comes up, we may invite you to take part in an optional interview on the basis of it, to help us understand your experience better.
3. What is the aim of this programme?
We have three aims with this programme:
- To understand your experience of using the app from the beginning
- To understand what feels engaging and what does not
- To understand what makes you want to return to the app, and what does not
4. Who developed Alena?
A small team of passionate people. You can see everyone here, on the Alena website team page: https://alena.com/our-team.>
5. What evidence is there that Alena's approach works?
For the evidence-based therapy, we worked extremely closely with our advisor Stuart Linke who is a clinical psychologist in the NHS who has helped people overcome social anxiety for more than 30 years.
The therapy you will receive in Alena is based on the Clark and Wells model of social anxiety, which has been shown in both conventional face-to-face therapy as well as in app-based therapy to help people overcome social anxiety.
6. How do I give feedback?
You will be invited to complete surveys. Some of them will be directly in the app, and some will be posted here, in this space.
You will be guided through exactly what to do for each of these. You will also be told how long it will take to complete, and what the prize draw will be for the surveys posted in this space.
You may also be invited to take part in an optional, paid, online interview. You don't have to do this if you don't want to.
If you are interested in participating, you will be invited to join a Google Meet call with Sofie, and a note-taker from the team. You will then be asked a series of open questions to help us understand your thoughts and feelings about the app. This will be “semi-structured” which means that Sofie might also ask follow-up questions if new topics come up. You don’t have to join with video if audio alone is more comfortable. The interview is a safe and open space where we want to learn from you and hear what you think we can improve. The calls are not recorded (that's why we have someone taking notes). Sofie has been doing these kinds of interviews specifically with people who experience either anxiety or depression or both, for more than 4 years.
7. How long with this programme run for?
It depends on you. You are free to use the app as much or as little as you like, and for as long as you like. We just ask you to complete the 3 surveys that we will share during the first two weeks after you download the app. Each survey takes about 5 minutes.
8. If I decide I no longer want to take part, what do I do?
If you would like to stop using the app, you can simply delete it from your device.
If you would like to stop receiving emails about being an advisor and giving feedback, please send a message to Sofie on smeyer@alena.com and we will remove you from the list. No questions asked, and no problem.
9. Can I refer someone I know?
Yes, and we would love to have them if they experience social anxiety. Please send them this link: https://my-aya.typeform.com/to/OFQILle9.
10. How is my data stored?
Your data will be stored on our cloud-based server which is fully secure.
We are building Alena to help you better understand your personal patterns – not to hand out your data to other people.
We are also constantly working to fortify and update our systems based on the best security practices available.
For more information about how we handle your data, please see our privacy policy.
11. Will you delete my data if I ask you to?
Yes, of course. Just email contact@alena.com and we will delete all of it right away.
12. What is this £100 Amazon voucher prize draw?
Everyone who completes all 3 surveys will be entered into a prize draw for a £100 Amazon voucher. The first survey was shared with you in the Welcome email, and the next two will be posted in this space here on PeerBoard. Good luck!