Effectiveness of school-based mental health playgroups for diagnosable and at-risk preschool children.
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
Department of Psychology, Özyeğin University.
Özlem
0000-0001-8104-4504
Ö
Bekar
Institute for Infants, Children and Families, The Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services.
Rebecca
R
Shahmoon-Shanok
Department of Clinical Psychology, The New School for Social Research.
Miriam
M
Steele
Department of Clinical Psychology, The New School for Social Research.
Jaclyn
J
Levy
Department of Clinical Psychology, The New School for Social Research.
Lauren
L
deFressine
Department of Clinical Psychology, The New School for Social Research.
Katie
K
Giuseppone
Department of Clinical Psychology, The New School for Social Research.
Howard
H
Steele
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010989:Play Therapy; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology; D000066553:Problem Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D012572:School Health Services; D066107:Social Skills