This project examines how online versus offline health service contexts shape judgments and decisions, with a focus on reducing health inequalities. Drawing on construal level theory, it investigates how the increased psychological distance of eHealth services influences trust in providers, help-seeking behaviors—especially among stigmatized groups—and preferences for more global, meaning-based treatments, particularly in mental health. While online contexts may promote accessibility and reduce stigma, they may also increase reliance on stereotypes and bias in decision-making. The research aims to develop strategies and policy guidelines that mitigate these risks, support informed health decisions, and address gender and identity-based inequalities in health access and care.

The present project thus proposes to study how judgments and decisions in the context of stigmatized health conditions, may depend on the online context of the health service and how this can reduce health inequalities.

The FACE self-help programme is the first m-health intervention specifically developed for the needs of young adults with a history of adverse childhood experiences.