Examining an individualized, group-based social skills training using a mixed-methods design: A feasibility study.

Area of Science:

• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Individualized treatment may enhance adherence and outcomes.
• Group-based Social Skills Training (SST) can be challenging to individualize.
• Feasibility of tailoring SST for children with psychosocial issues needs investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and outcomes of an individualized Social Skills Training (SST) for children.
• To explore the effectiveness of tailored interventions for psychosocial problems in youth.
• To evaluate a mixed-methods approach combining top-down and bottom-up measures.

Main Methods:

• Feasibility study involving 33 children (aged 7-11) with psychosocial problems.
• Individualized Social Skills Training (SST) intervention.
• Mixed-methods design: top-down (questionnaires) and bottom-up (personal goals, evaluations).

Main Results:

• Significant increases in personal goals and pro-social behavior.
• Significant decreases in socially inadequate and problem behaviors.
• Positive parent/child reports on social responsiveness, emotion regulation, and reduced internalizing problems, with noted generalization limitations.

Conclusions:

• Tailoring group-based SST to individual needs and measuring personal goals is feasible.
• Mixed-methods designs are valuable for assessing intervention effectiveness in pediatric mental health.
• Individualized SST shows promise but requires further research on generalization.