EMO-CHILD
Funded by the PROMETEO 2022 call (I+D+i Projects for Excellence Research Groups) from the Valencian Government
Period: 2022-2025
Principal Investigator: Mireia Orgilés
This project aims to establish the prevalence and incidence of internalized psychological problems and disorders (emotional and related) in the child and adolescent population in Spain. Additionally, it examines the developmental trajectories of these disorders over time and identifies the risk and protective factors associated with child mental health problems.
PREVENTION OF EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN AGED 4 TO 6 YEARS: EVALUATION OF THE SUPER KIDS PROGRAM (PRE-KIDS)
Funded by the PROMETEO 2022 call (I+D+i Projects for Excellence Research Groups) from the Valencian Government.
Period: 2021-2024
Principal Investigators: Mireia Orgilés, José Pedro Espada
The Super Skills program has shown positive results in reducing emotional problems in children aged 6 to 12 when applied in small groups or individual formats, with both short-term and long-term positive effects. Since compulsory schooling begins at the age of 6, which represents a stressful event and significant changes in a child’s life, and given that anxiety problems in children often start around this age, preventive interventions are needed to help children better cope with these challenges and reduce their vulnerability to emotional symptoms.
This project aims to adapt the program for application to children aged 4 to 6. The hypothesis is that, if the Super Skills program adapted for children aged 4 to 6 proves effective, it will be possible to prevent anxiety (and depression, as the program is based on a transdiagnostic approach) and provide children with psychological resources to prevent their occurrence in the future.
ADAPTATION AND EVALUATION OF THE TRANSDIAGNOSTIC PROGRAM SUPER SKILLS FOR LIFE APPLIED ONLINE FOR CHILDREN WITH INTERNALIZED PROBLEMS
Funded by the Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness
Period: 2018-2021
Principal Investigator: Mireia Orgilés
A significant percentage of children and adolescents cannot access psychological treatment or do not receive appropriate treatment, often due to the saturation of public child mental health services, economic issues, transportation problems, or scheduling constraints. Given the challenges in receiving adequate intervention in an efficient manner, new approaches are being considered to facilitate therapy access, with online interventions standing out for their optimal cost-benefit ratio. Building on the successful results of Super Skills in reducing internalized problems in Spanish children, this project examined its online implementation.
The project aimed to adapt the Super Skills for Life program for online application and assess its effectiveness in Spanish children aged 8 to 12 with internalized problems. The online program includes the same components as the in-person version: education on emotions and feelings, cognitive restructuring, problem-solving, behavioral activation, relaxation techniques, self-observation, and social competence. Having an online version of the program provides treatment access to a larger number of children at a lower cost. The primary contribution of this project is to offer an online program with empirical support and international recognition, available for application in clinical and educational settings in Spain.