Effectiveness of school-based mental health playgroups for diagnosable and at-risk preschool children.

Abstract

Risk factors during preschool years, such as poverty and unattended social/emotional problems, are known to have a strong negative influence on children's later functioning. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of an on-site integrated school-based mental health services and consultation program for preschool children and their families. The sample consisted of 47 children and parents in 3 childcare centers who came from low-socioeconomic, urban backgrounds. Parents provided questionnaire data on children's social-emotional functioning at 2 assessment times. Children's ages ranged between 2 and 4 years at Time 1. Approximately half of the sample consisted of children who were selected for and received twice-weekly peer play psychotherapy (PPP) and, at-times, other mental health services from clinicians (playgroup [PG] children). The other half of the sample consisted of better functioning non-playgroup (NPG) children from the same centers. When PG and NPG were compared at Time1, the PG children were significantly behind the NPG children justifying their assignment to PG. However, at Time 2, the difference between PG and NPG was no longer significant on vital measures of adaptation, revealing the ways in which Relationships for Growth & Learning (RfGL) Program arguably led to 'catch up'. PG children's behavioral problems and total symptomatology decreased significantly from Time 1 to Time 2. Higher dosage of PPP was linked with higher social competence and decreased behavioral problems. Areas of gain differed between internalizing and externalizing children, indicating that intervention was helpful to different types of children. Clinical and research implications were discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

The Efficacy of Two Group Interventions on Mental Representations, Attachment Security, and Trauma Symptoms in Ethnically and Socioeconomically Minoritized Young Adolescents in an Urban Middle School

“…This study demonstrated that two different group interventions implemented in an urban middle-school setting were successful in improving students' attachment security and reducing trauma symptoms in typically developing young adolescents from ethnically and socioeconomically minoritized backgrounds. Students benefit from school-based group intervention [68,69], but few studies have addressed the effectiveness of psychodynamically oriented school-based group interventions. The two interventions offer two different strategies for resolving trauma symptoms.…”

Prevention of Mental Health Difficulties for Children Aged 0–3 Years: A Review

“…While the majority of programs involved the parents as participants, the Responsive Early Childhood Curriculum, the Relationships for Growth and Learning Program and Early Head Start focused mainly on children ( Love et al, 2005 ; Landry et al, 2014 ; Bekar et al, 2017 ). These programs were targeted for toddlers at risk, due to individual or environmental risk factors.…”

“…These programs were targeted for toddlers at risk, due to individual or environmental risk factors. Relationships for Growth and Learning used principles of play psychotherapy and was successful in that it enabled at-risk toddlers to catch-up to their peers in behavioral functioning ( Bekar et al, 2017 ). Early Head Start has been studied extensively with 3,000 families, with the research finding that it has positive impacts on children’s cognitive, behavioral, social and emotional functioning ( Love et al, 2005 ).…”

“…The Relationships for Growth and Learning Program is designed to target preschool children who are at risk for developing mental health problems ( Bekar et al, 2017 ). The program uses peer play psychotherapy and other mental health services.…”

Facilitated playgroups to promote speech and language skills of young children with communication delays: A pilot study

“…A facilitated family-centered model, such as EPIIC playgroups, provide these participatory opportunities for families not only to strengthen existing practices, decisions, and choices, but to learn new skills that directly relate to improving their child’s speech and language outcomes. Playgroup models have been used in a variety of contexts to support young children’s social-emotional skills (Kim et al, 2003; McCollum and Yates, 1994; McCollum et al, 2001), provide emotional support and social networks for refugee families (Jackson, 2006), and improve adaptive and behavioral skills of preschool children (Bekar et al, 2016). The EPIIC playgroups may provide benefits to children’s language skills while also providing the opportunity for parents to learn from one another and build a support network.…”