Super Skills for Life Effectiveness in the Online Modality

Miguel Hernández University of Elche

Status: Completed

Conditions: Emotional Disorder; Depressive Symptoms; Anxiety Disorders and Symptoms; Mood Disorders; Anxiety Disorders; Child Mental Disorder; Depressive Disorder

Treatments: Behavioral: Super Skills for Life program

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05589090

DPS.MO.01.17

Details and patient eligibility

About

The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the transdiagnostic program Super Skills for Life (SSL). This protocol targets children aged 8 to 12 with emotional problems (anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and lack of social skills). SSL consists of eight sessions targeting common risk factors for internalizing disorders such as cognitive distortions, avoidance, emotional management, low self-esteem, social skills deficits, and coping strategies. The present research focuses on assessing the effectiveness of SSL applied online (through a virtual platform).

Full description

After selecting the children based on the online questionnaires completed by the parents (preintervention assessment) and inclusion/exclusion criteria, they were randomly allocated to the conditions of the intervention group and the wait-list control group. Parents and children from both groups completed the same measures at baseline, post-treatment, and 12 months follow-up. Children in the experimental group received the SSL program by the virtual platform.

The objective of the study is to evaluate the benefits of the Super Skills for Life protocol applied online. For this purpose, the researchers will test to what extent the experimental group decreases its anxiety symptoms, anxiety impairment, depressive symptoms, behavioral problems, hyperactivity/inattention, and peer relationship problems, and increase its self-esteem and prosocial behaviors, compared to the control group.

In conclusion, the purpose of the study is to explore whether SSL implemented online can be a cost-effective psychological intervention to prevent emotional problems in Spanish children.

Enrollment: 30 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 8 to 12 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Children aged 8-12
• Presenting subclinical symptoms of emotional problems (anxiety, depression)
• Speaking, reading, writing, and understanding Spanish.
• Not receiving psychological or pharmacological treatment for emotional and/or behavioral problems

Exclusion criteria

• Had a psychiatric diagnosis already established
• Presenting a severe developmental disorder (intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, etc).

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

---

30 participants in 2 patient groups

Intervention group

Experimental group

Description:

Super Skills for Life intervention

Treatment:

Behavioral: Super Skills for Life program

Wait-list group

No Intervention group

Description:

Children in this group did not receive any phycological (public or private) intervention during the eight-week duration of the SSL program. They were informed that children in this group will receive the intervention once the follow-up visit is completed.