Effectiveness of Group vs. Individual Therapy to Decrease Peer Problems and Increase Prosociality in Children

Area of Science:

• Child psychology
• Developmental psychology
• Clinical intervention

Background:

• Emotional difficulties in children correlate with peer relationship issues and reduced prosocial behaviors.
• The Super Skills for Life (SSL) protocol is a transdiagnostic intervention designed for preventing emotional problems in children.
• SSL has demonstrated efficacy in improving comorbid symptoms alongside its primary objectives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of group versus individual modalities of the SSL program.
• To assess the impact of SSL on reducing peer problems in children aged 8-12 years.
• To evaluate the efficacy of SSL in increasing prosocial behaviors in children aged 8-12 years.

Main Methods:

• A total of 140 children (8-12 years old) participated, with 70 in a group format and 70 in an individual format.
• Participants were assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and at a one-year follow-up.
• Data collection focused on peer problems (social isolation, rejection, acceptance, friendships) and prosocial behaviors (helping, empathy, kindness, sharing).

Main Results:

• Both group and individual SSL modalities improved children's social relationships.
• The individual SSL modality yielded superior results in reducing peer problems and enhancing prosocial behaviors compared to the group modality.
• These positive effects were observed in both the short-term and long-term follow-up assessments.

Conclusions:

• The SSL protocol is effective in improving children's peer relationships and prosocial behaviors.
• Individualized delivery of the SSL program appears more beneficial for enhancing social skills in children.
• Transdiagnostic interventions like SSL are valuable for both clinical and educational settings to support children's social-emotional development.