Social-Emotional Skills Program for Social Emotional Intelligence

Overseen By Deena Scheidt

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Oregon Social Learning Center

Disqualifiers: Previous teacher training, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 2

Duration: 8 weeks

150 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if the Social-emotional Skills for Thriving and Relating at School (SSTRS) Program can help children entering kindergarten and their families. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1) Do children who participate in SSTRS have better social-emotional skills and mental health? and 2) Do parents who participate in SSTRS have more positive parenting skills and involvement in their children's learning? Researchers will compare the SSTRS Program to the regular kindergarten curriculum without SSTRS to see if being in SSTRS helps children to have better mental health and parents to have better parenting skills. Kindergarteners will have daily SSTRS lessons in their kindergarten classes for 8 weeks. Their parents will watch videos and attend group meetings with other parents and answer questions about their own and their children's behaviors and mental health

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether participants need to stop taking their current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Social-emotional Skills for Thriving and Relating at School Program?

Research shows that social-emotional learning programs can improve social skills, peer connectedness, and happiness in children, as well as self-control and social awareness in students. These programs have also been linked to better academic and life success, suggesting that similar treatments can be effective in enhancing social-emotional skills. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is the Social-Emotional Skills Program safe for humans?

The available research does not provide specific safety data for the Social-Emotional Skills Program, but it generally indicates positive experiences and benefits for participants, such as enhanced social and emotional learning and increased understanding of diversity. ^{2 6 7 8 9}

How is the Social-emotional Skills for Thriving and Relating at School Program treatment different from other treatments for social-emotional intelligence?

This treatment is unique because it focuses on enhancing social-emotional skills specifically in a school setting, aiming to improve students' self-concept, behavioral adjustment, and reduce anxiety. Unlike other treatments, it is tailored for educational environments and targets young adolescents, particularly those from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, to support their overall development and school success. ^{4 5 8 9 10}

Research Team

Katherine Pears, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

Oregon Social Learning Center

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for children entering kindergarten and their families. It's designed to see if the SSTRS Program can improve kids' social-emotional skills and mental health, as well as enhance parenting skills. Families must be willing to participate in daily lessons, watch videos, attend group meetings, and provide feedback on behaviors.

Inclusion Criteria

Child entering kindergarten in a school that is participating in the study

Exclusion Criteria

Being in a classroom in which the teacher or EA was previously trained in another closely-related treatment protocol

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Kindergarteners receive daily SSTRS lessons in their classes for 8 weeks, and parents participate in video sessions and group meetings

8 weeks

Daily lessons for children, regular meetings for parents

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for social-emotional skills and mental health outcomes

9 months

Assessments at 2 months and 9 months post-baseline

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Social-emotional Skills for Thriving and Relating at School Program

Trial Overview The study tests the SSTRS Program against regular kindergarten curriculum without it. The focus is on whether SSTRS leads to better mental health in children and improved parenting practices. Kindergarteners will receive daily lessons for 8 weeks while parents engage with educational materials.

Participant Groups

Group I: SSTRS group Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

These participants will participate in the SSTRS intervention.

Group II: Services as Usual Active Control 1 Intervention

These participants will receive kindergarten programming as usual.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Oregon Social Learning Center

Lead Sponsor

Trials

36

Recruited

8,900+

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Collaborator

Trials

3,007

Recruited

2,852,000+

References

1. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Promoting Peer Connectedness Through Social-Emotional Learning: Evaluating the Intervention Effect Mechanisms and Implementation Factors of a Social-Emotional Learning Programme for 9 to 12-Year-Olds. [2023]

2. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The roles of social-emotional skills in students' academic and life success: A multi-informant and multicohort perspective. [2023]

3. Netherlands pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Effectiveness of a Portuguese Elementary School Social and Emotional Learning Program. [2019]

4. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Social Gradient in the Effects of the Skills for Life Program on Self-Efficacy and Mental Wellbeing of Adolescent Students. [2020]

5. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Cluster Randomized-Controlled Trial of the MindOut Social and Emotional Learning Program for Disadvantaged Post-Primary School Students. [2020]

6. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Rose by any Other Name? Using Core Components to Categorize Social and Emotional Learning Provision. [2023]

7. Sweden pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Children's experiences of a drama programme in social and emotional learning. [2011]

8. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Validation of Italian students' self-ratings on the SSIS SEL brief scales. [2023]

9. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Social-Emotional Learning Profiles of Preschoolers' Early School Success: A Person-Centered Approach. [2021]

10. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Socioemotional Skills Program with a Group of Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Young Adolescents: Impacts on Self-Concept and Emotional and Behavioral Problems. [2022]