With the growing complexity of nowadays society and challenges that are putting a strain on humanity, it becomes more urgent for children to grow resilient and develop the skills to prevent mental...Show moreWith the growing complexity of nowadays society and challenges that are putting a strain on humanity, it becomes more urgent for children to grow resilient and develop the skills to prevent mental health issues and enhance psychological well-being. School-based interventions that focus on enhancing self-awareness could help achieve these goals. The aim of this research project was to create an overview of what kind of interventions effectively enhance self-awareness and offer insight into possible moderators and implementation practices. A systematic search was performed: 41 studies were systematically reviewed, and 28 studies were included in a meta-analysis. The mean effect size was statistically significant and showed a small to moderate, positive, pooled effect (Hedge’s g = .307). Statistical heterogeneity was high, yet gender and the mental health-status of participants did not explain the variance in the effectiveness between the interventions in this study sample. From the included studies, 13 interventions showed significant, positive effects. Most of these interventions utilized a SEL-framework or mixed different theoretical backgrounds and techniques. Findings suggested that interventions seem to thrive when implemented with a whole-school approach: integrated in school-curricula on an ongoing basis, executed by teachers when used with a universal approach, with family involved, and health practitioners engaged to offer support and guidance to school-staff and teachers.Show less
One’s self-esteem is definitive for a great deal of aspects in life, ranging from health to relationships. Our self-esteem can be influenced by a lot of factors, intelligence – especially...Show moreOne’s self-esteem is definitive for a great deal of aspects in life, ranging from health to relationships. Our self-esteem can be influenced by a lot of factors, intelligence – especially giftedness – being one. As we navigate through adolescence, a lot of things change, including our attachment. All these big shifts in our lives causes our self-esteem to fluctuate. The current study examined the impact of self-esteem on peer attachment, and whether giftedness affects this relationship. Participants included Dutch preadolescents (N = 96) that either attended a regular (N = 45) or a gifted (N = 51) primary school. Self-esteem and peer attachment were measured using the Competency Experience Scale Child (CBSK) and the Inventory of Peer and Parent Attachment (IPPA) respectively. These results were then compared between gifted and typically developing children using a linear regression analysis (LRA). The findings indicated a significant relationship between self-esteem and peer attachment for typically developing children, but a nonsignificant relationship for gifted children, suggesting that giftedness does influence this relationship. The current study emphasizes the need for more knowledge on giftedness.Show less
The transition to adolescence is linked to behavioral and/or emotional problems, and to a change of circadian phase preference towards evening chronotype. Recent studies showed that eveningness in...Show moreThe transition to adolescence is linked to behavioral and/or emotional problems, and to a change of circadian phase preference towards evening chronotype. Recent studies showed that eveningness in adolescence is associated with behavioral and emotional problems and with shorter sleep duration, poor sleep quality, and daytime sleepiness. Studies on chronotype, sleep and behavioral/emotional problems in preadolescents are scarce. The current study examined: 1) whether there is association between chronotype and behavioral/ emotional problems in healthy 9, 10, and 11-year-old preadolescents, and 2) whether the hypothesized correlation is mediated by sleep quality, sleepiness, and/or sleep duration. Parents of 98 Dutch children aged 9 to 11 filled out the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), Children’s Chronotype Questionnaire (CCTQ), Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC), and a sleep diary. The hypothesized association between eveningness and behavioral and/or emotional problems was not found. However, eveningness was significantly correlated to poor sleep quality and daytime sleepiness. Furthermore, poor sleep quality was significantly correlated to externalizing problems, and daytime sleepiness was significantly correlated to internalizing problems. To conclude, eveningness does not increase the risk of behavioral/emotional problems, but is related to poor sleep quality and increased daytime sleepiness. These results suggest that evening types are particularly vulnerable to behavioral/emotional problems when they experience poor sleep quality/ daytime sleepiness. Moreover it might mean that other children, who are not considered evening types but do experience poor sleep quality/daytime sleepiness, may also be vulnerable to behavioral/emotional problems.Show less
