Extending Evidence-Based Social Skills Training to Young Children

描述（由申请人提供）：全国调查数据表明，儿童问题行为的患病率在10- 25%之间（韦伯斯特-斯特拉顿和哈蒙德，1997）。当孩子们进入学前班并开始在家庭之外的社会环境中摸索时，问题行为会干扰社会发展，使孩子们面临同伴关系问题和社交技能延迟的风险。如果没有干预，社会和行为问题往往会持续存在，甚至随着时间的推移而升级，进而对儿童精神病理学的发展产生巨大影响。几十年的研究表明，社会和行为缺陷会对适应产生负面影响，并使儿童面临更多的风险，包括抑郁、药物滥用和犯罪（参见Parker， Rubin， Price和DeRosier， 1995）。相反，积极的社会关系是促进更积极的发展结果的保护因素。预防和治疗研究支持使用社交技能训练（SST）来改善儿童的同伴关系，社会行为和情绪调整（见Greenberg， Domitrovich, and Bumbarger, 2001，回顾）。此外，在有问题的社会行为变成慢性和顽固性行为之前对其进行干预，被反复认为是防止更严重的适应不良发展的关键（Greenberg等人；Parker等人）。早期干预对于预防严重的社交技能缺陷和根深蒂固的消极同伴互动模式至关重要（Coie, 1990）。因此，第二阶段项目的目标是继续研究和开发现有的以证据为基础的小组SST项目的一个版本，以便使其适用于更年幼的儿童。这个项目将改编3-C儿童教育署针对6-12岁儿童的SST项目，SSGRIN（社会技能小组干预），为4-6岁的儿童创造一个新的干预项目，名为“SSGRIN- ec”（早期儿童的SSGRIN）。SSGRIN- ec将建立在SSGRIN的基础上，以及第一阶段的研究结果，提供一种独特的早期干预资源，这是目前用于幼儿SST的重大进步。SSGRIN-EC将为心理健康专业人员提供一个创新的干预方案，以提高幼儿的情感能力和社会关系。SSGRIN-EC将提供多媒体资源，包括视频和互动网络资源，以及专门旨在提高社交技能能力的技能课程。它还提供了一种独特的手段，将干预设置与家庭努力联系起来，以促进社会和情感功能。第一阶段的结果为持续的开发提供了实质性的支持，以及告知开发方向的必要的建设性反馈。拟议的第二阶段项目将利用第一阶段的研究结果来修订、修改和扩展SSGRIN-EC组件，以最大限度地提高质量和效率。一旦最终确定，将对干预对掌握社会技能概念和社会、情感和行为功能的积极变化的效果进行科学评估。项目描述：有问题的同伴关系，特别是长期的同伴关系，会对儿童的心理健康以及他们的学业、行为和情感功能产生巨大的影响。如果没有干预，社会和行为问题往往会持续存在并随着时间的推移而升级，这反过来又对精神病理学的发展产生了巨大的影响。由于社会情感缺陷导致的精神疾病的发展是一个公共卫生问题，美国每年因精神疾病造成的经济间接成本估计为790亿美元。对社交技能培训项目的成本效益分析显示，即使效果不大，每位参与者也能节省超过95,000美元的资金，每投入1美元的回报超过8美元。总统新设立的精神健康自由委员会（2003年）特别呼吁对有精神健康需求的儿童进行识别和早期治疗，以防止可能同时发生的疾病，打破可能导致学业失败和其他问题的恶性循环

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): National survey data suggest the prevalence of problem behaviors in young children is between 10-25 percent (Webster-Stratton and Hammond, 1997). As children enter preschool and begin to navigate social situations outside the home, problem behaviors interfere with social development, placing children at risk for problematic peer relations and delayed social skills. Without intervention, social and behavioral problems tend to persist and even escalate over time and, in turn, have a tremendous impact on the development of child psychopathology. Decades of research indicate social and behavioral deficits negatively affect adjustment and place children at increased risk for a myriad of later negative outcomes including depression, substance abuse, and delinquency (see Parker, Rubin, Price and DeRosier, 1995, for review). In contrast, positive social relationships serve as a protective factor promoting more positive developmental outcomes. Prevention and treatment research supports the use of social skills training (SST) for improving children's peer relations, social behavior, and emotional adjustment (see Greenberg, Domitrovich, and Bumbarger, 2001, for review). In addition, intervening with problematic social behaviors before they become chronic and intractable has been repeatedly heralded as a key to preventing the development of more serious maladjustment (Greenberg, et al.; Parker et al.). Early intervention is critical in the prevention of severe social skill deficits and entrenched negative peer interaction patterns (Coie, 1990). The goal of this Phase II project is therefore to continue the research and development of a version of an existing evidence-based small group SST program in order to make it applicable for younger children. This project will adapt 3-C ISD's SST program for 6-12 year old children, SSGRIN (Social Skills Group Intervention), to create a new intervention for young children (ages 4-6 years) titled "SSGRIN-EC" (SSGRIN for Early Childhood). SSGRIN-EC will build on SSGRIN's foundation, as well as Phase I findings, to offer a unique early intervention resource that represents a significant advancement over what is currently available for SST with young children. SSGRIN-EC will provide mental health professionals with an innovative intervention program to enhance the emotional competencies and social relations of young children. SSGRIN-EC will offer multi-media resources, including video and interactive web resources, and a skill based curriculum specifically aimed at enhancing social skills competencies. It also provides a unique means of bridging intervention settings with home efforts to promote social and emotional functioning. The Phase I results provide substantial support for continued development, as well as essential constructive feedback to inform the direction of that development. The proposed Phase II project will utilize the Phase I findings to revise, modify, and extend the SSGRIN-EC components in order to maximize quality and effectiveness. Once finalized, a scientific evaluation of the efficacy of the intervention for mastery of social skills concepts and positive changes in social, emotional, and behavioral functioning will be conducted. PROJECT NARRATIVE: Problematic peer relations, particularly when chronic, can have a tremendous impact on children's mental health as well as their academic, behavioral, and emotional functioning. Without intervention, social and behavioral problems tend to persist and escalate over time which, in turn, has a tremendous impact on the development of psychopathology. Development of psychiatric disorders due to socio-emotional deficits is a public health concern with annual US economic, indirect cost of mental illnesses estimated at $79 billion. Cost-effectiveness analyses of social skills training programs with even modest effect sizes estimated a monetary savings of more than $95,000 per participant and more than $8 return on every dollar invested. The President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health (2003) specifically calls for the identification and early treatment of children who experience mental health needs in order to prevent the potential onset of co-occurring disorders and break a cycle that otherwise can lead to school failure and other problems