Building Resilience, Enhancing Social Support: What research … · 2020. 4. 30. · Trace Moroney feelings books series. National Childhood Network How can we support children to

Building Resilience, Enhancing Social Support: What research tells us

Children’s Research Network for Ireland and Northern Ireland 5th Annual Conference

6th December 2016

1

Parallel Session

Resilience through socio-emotional well-being

Facilitator

Alison Montgomery

2

Building resilience through the emotional well-being of the Healthy

Ireland Smart Start Programme

Michelle Hart

National Childhood Network

3

Resilience through the Emotional Well-being of the Healthy Ireland Smart Start Programme



‘Creative Confident Children’An emotional literacy pilot for early years

Emotional Well-Being Background for the ProjectIdentifying the Local & National need for the “Emotional Well-Being of Children”

The Early Years’ Emotional Well-Being Programme was developed and adapted to the Irish context from a Scottish initiative and programme known as the ‘Creative Confident Children Programme’, an emotional literacy

programme for pre-school services. The Creative Confident Children Programme was proposed as a result of priorities collectively identified by local health improvement groups and individual early year’s establishments in

Scotland. These establishments highlighted a need to develop a sustainable curricular input that focuses on mental health and impacts on creating a positive ethos.


BCCN accessed the Creative Confident Children programme and adapted and piloted

this programme as part of The U4IT Programme - Cavan and Monaghan Families

Getting Healthy Together Project, a programme funded by the European Union’s

Interreg IVA programme. Following the pilot of this programme, a new streamlined

version of the programme was established. The new streamlined version is known as

the Emotional Wellbeing Programme and is now integrated as a core element of

Healthy Ireland Smart Start.

National Childhood NetworkLocal and National Research

•Identifying local need – In the evaluation of the BCCN/HSE smart start programme, a health promotion programme aimed at children, parents and educators addressing the health needs of children aged 3-5 years it recommended that an additional focus should be developed to assist pre-school staff in promoting children’s emotional/mental health (p8).

Local & National Research- According to the State of the Nation's Children Report: Ireland 2010 Ireland's most vulnerable

children do not get access to basic services. Traveller children and children with a disability and or chronic illness were also

less likely to feel safe where they live and more likely to be bullied. They also report significantly lower levels of happiness.

It is recognised that “mental and emotional health is a fundamental and underpinning component of positive health and well-being” (An Integrated Approach to Promoting Emotional Well-being in the School Setting, Scottish Health Promoting Schools Unit, 2005).

A whole setting approach to tackling the issue of mental health results in the creation of a supportive environment for all children.


Healthy Ireland

Healthy Ireland is a new government plan that involves every part of Irish society in improving our health and wellbeing. It was published in March 2013. Healthy Ireland is a National Framework that sets out actions for the health and wellbeing of Ireland over the next generations. (HSE, 2014). The framework divides into goals and themes that will work in partnership with others to ensure that health is a priority for everyone!

Healthy Ireland states that “Well-being also respects the concept of positive mental health in which a person can realise his or her own abilities, cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and fully, and be able to make a contribution to his or her communities. Consideration of health and well-being requires a shift in focus from what can go wrong in people’s lives, to focuses on what makes their lives go well”.Mental Health is a growing health, social and economic issue and it is expected that depressive mental illness will be the leading cause of chronic disease in high- income countries by 2030. One in every four people will experience mental health problems during his or her lifetime. (Healthy Ireland 2013, p23)

National Childhood NetworkGood mental health and resilience are fundamental to good physical health, relationships, education, and work as well as

key to achieving our potential.

Children and families experience difficulties and traumas such as separation, bereavement and other life difficulties all thetime, as well as everyday stresses. Supporting children and families in their everyday lives supports good mental health andhelps to build resilience.

When children show healthy development despite adversity this is known as resilience. The American Psychological Association (APA) defines resilience as “the ability to adapt well to adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or even significantsources of stress” (APA, 2011). Gorthberg believes “Resilience is important because it is the human capacity to face, overcome and be strengthen or transformed by the adversities of life” (1995). Developing this capacity relies on protective factors within individuals as well in the family and community.

Resilience can also be described as the ability to steer through big challenges in life and find ways to bounce back and through them. We are all born with the capacity of resilience but it’s not something we do or don’t have. We work on it throughout our lives. Parents and early childhood practitioners are key people to help children build resilience.


Supporting Young Children’s Resilience Through Emotional Wellbeing

Emotional Well-being/Literacy is the ability to recognize, understand and appropriately express our emotions. Just as verbal literacy is the basic building-block for reading and writing, emotional literacy is the basis for perceiving and communicating emotions.

Becoming emotionally literate is learning the alphabet, grammar and vocabulary of our emotional lives.

Children will build resilience through a range of holistic supports, provided by the preschool setting, in partnership with families. Through positive demonstration of emotions and how to deal with all emotions, children learn that all emotions are normal and are supported to develop a range of coping skills and strategies, support their resilience.


What are the Key Elements of Emotional Well-being/Literacy?

• Self Awareness

• Empathy, Relating to• Others & Social/Group• Awareness

• Self-Motivation

• Managing our Emotions

How Can We Support Resilience?

Children Emotional Literacy themed stories, activities and music

Emotional Literacy themed books

Early Years’ Staff Training for Early Years’ staff to implement programme

Curriculum for each Early Years’ setting

Resources to support programme – books, emotions fan, music and movement activities, circle-time activities

Service assessment visit as part of the on-going programme

Parents/Carers Parents/Carers leaflet

Parent evening on “Emotional Well-being/Literacy” Emotional literacy themed stories/props for using at home

Signpost supports for parents/carers

Early Years’ Staff Training for 2 early years’ staff to implement programme

Following training, staff will be required to deliver the ‘Emotional Well-being/Literacy

Programme within their pre-school on a regular and sustained basis.

In addition, they will need to share the knowledge of the programme with other pre-

school staff working with 3-5 year olds

Curricular programme pack for each pre-school

Each pre-school will receive information on Emotional Well-being/Literacy, a

curriculum plan containing a leader’s guide to facilitating the programme, with ideas

on how to incorporate the learning from the training into everyday practice.

Also included in the curricular pack will be a variety of specially chosen emotional

literacy themed books, puppets and music CD to reinforce the learning. These

resources will also be available for parents to use as part of the programme at home.

Access to future training

National trainers from NCN will be trained as ‘Emotional/Well-being/Literacy

champions’ to ensure early years’ staff have access to further training

Connection to Síolta/Aistear Frameworks and Regulation 5

The Emotional Well-being/Literacy Programme will be connected to the National

Frameworks in the information manual

Trace Moroney feelings books series


How can we support children to build resilience?

A secure bond with a caring adultRelationships with positive role modelsOpportunities to learn new skillsOpportunities to participate in meaningful activitiesDevelop a positive outlook;”It was raining outside, so we had our picnic indoors instead.”

Express gratitude and appreciation-children can learn to look for and enjoy the simple pleasures in life, a walk in the park, orreading a book, playing with a friend or eating their favourite meal. Learn children to look for the beauty in nature everyday.Reassure children when difficult things happen we can talk about them and that feelings will always pass.


Implementing the Programme - examples of practice.......

Introducing a kindness tree - showcasing children being kind to each other, celebrating thanksgiving.


Examples of practice...........

Pictorial emotions can be developed in lots of ways!


Using familiar stories for discussion and acting out emotions.

examples of practice...........

Our friendship Tree


Using the stories for discussion and acting out

emotions.


Using props alongside your new

resources


Our emotions wheel and our mood tree!


We collected things in our homes/pre-school

that make us feel happy!

Children’s ideas of what made them angry - made

into their own prop or discussion box.....The voice of

the child in different ways!

examples of practice.......

Discussing what scares us and being scared at

Halloween

examples of practice.......


Children’s ideas of what made them sad!

examples of practice what love means...........

The

Wedding!!!!


Using the music CD!

Introducing the emotions using a puppet! Flossie is afraid of the dark!

Drawing and telling our worry monster what we are worried about!


Involving Parents in the Emotional Well-being/Literacy

Programme

Parents night – looking at the resources used in the

project. Discussing and thinking about how to

support children’s emotional well-being/literacy.

National Childhood NetworkResearch Going Forward…..

Explore a definition of resilience that would support this programmeMeasuring resilience: Use methods to quantify resilience in early childhood settingsInvestigate how we are supporting resilience through building everyday practices in pre-school and home settings.Explore the benefits of the interventions outlined through the programme.Examine the quality of the work, and developing and extending the interventions outlined.

Measuring the positive attributes of the service, children and families. Perhaps using a baseline assessment before and after for staff, parents and children that could record behaviour changes? Using the feedback sheets designed for children and families as part of the programme.Measuring supportive environments. Measures of protective factors.

Thank youQuestions?


Using resilience as a prism to examine children’s social and emotional well-

being

Emeka Okakpu

Archways

33

R E S I L I E N C E A S A P R I S M T O E X A M I N E C H I L D R E N ' S S O C I A L A N D E M O T I O N A L W E L L - B E I N G

Child Well-Being Study (Phase 2)

Emeka Okakpu, Dr. Sean McDonnell, Rebecca Mc Hugh

Background

The Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme was introduced in 2013 by the Government to address child poverty and promote children’s health and well-being in 13 designated sites across Ireland

A Child Well-Being Study was designed in order to assess children’s social and emotional well-being in 17 primary schools across two ABC sites, in Clondalkin, Co. Dublin, where the project is led by the Blue Skies Initiative, and in Drogheda and Dundalk, Co. Louth, where the project is led by the Genesis Programme.

Child Well-being Study (Phase 1)

In 2015 the first phase was completed

Looked at 7 year olds in 2nd class

Children, their parents and their teachers completed surveys

3 survey instruments were used:o Children: Piers-Harris Children’s Self-Concept Scale

o Parents: Personality Inventory for Children, 2nd Edition (PIC-2)

o Teachers: Student Behaviour Survey (SBS)


Phase 1 findings: The children reported high level of well-being or self-concept. These rating were higher than those given by their parents and teachers.

Results of their STen scores were consistent with their perceived sense of cognitive abilities and academic performance

Findings from the first phase indicated that further exploration was required

In Spring 2016 a second phase of the Child Well-being study began with the aim of assessing the well-being of children in 4th and 6th classes

Child Well-being Study (Phase 2): Introduction

Looked at children in 4th (n=275) and 6th (n=277) classes (n=552) Data gathered from the child, the parent and the teacher A measure of resilience was added in order to assess the interaction

of children’s resilience with indicators which are understood to affect their wellbeing

o Child and Youth Resilience Measure (CYRM-12) is a screening tool to explore the resources (individual, relational, communal and cultural) available to youth that may bolster their resilience. The measure was designed as part of the International Resilience Project (IRP), of the Resilience Research Centre, in collaboration with 14 communities in 11 countries around the world.

Child Well-being Study (Phase 2):CYRM-12

Sample questions

Cohort scores are interpreted on a simple scale with four ranges:

Range 1 (indicating the lowest resilience, below 25%)

Range 2 (from 26%-50%)

Range 3 (from 51%-75%)

Range 4 (indicating the highest resilience, from 76%-100%)

I am treated fairly

I have people I want to be

like

I feel that I belong at my

school

Child Well-being Study (Phase 2): Findings

Class (4th and 6th)

78.9% of 4th class children and 78.4% of 6th class children scored within the 4th

range, indicating a high level of resilience 19% of 4th class children and 20% of 6th class children scored within the 3rd range

3% of 4th class children and 1% of 6th class children scored within the 2nd range

No child scored in the 1st range

1%

3%

20%

19%

78%

79%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

6th class

4th class

Resilience by Class

1st Range 2nd Range 3rd Range 4th Range


Gender

Girls were found to be more resilient than boys. 83% of girls in the sample compared to 75% of boys scored within the 4th range of the scale.

3%

1%

22%

16%

75%

83%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Boys

Girls

Resilience by Gender



Gender differences between classes

2.1

0.8

25

13.7

72.8

85.7

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Boys

Girls

6th class resilience by gender


3.2

1.4

19.3

17.8

77.5

80.7

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Boys

Girls

4th class resilience by gender



Demographics

No correlations were found between resilience and the following:

Parent’s work status

Parent’s educational attainment

Martial status

Family type

Ethnic or cultural background

Self-concept

There was a statistically significant positive correlation between resilience and self-concept rates for children in the sample suggesting that higher resilience rates tend to be associated with a more positive perception of self-concept

Pearson’s correlation: r=.53, N=552, p<.001

Coefficient of determination : r2= 0.28 (indicating a rather large relationship)


Questions or Comments?

Determinants of children’s socio-emotional well-being: Insights from the

Growing Up in Ireland Study

Mira Dobutowitsch

Maynooth University

45

Determinants of children‘s socio-emotional wellbeing:

Insights from the Growing Up in Ireland study

Mira Dobutowitsch

Maynooth University

Introduction

Outdoors, physically active and unstructured play

Indoors, inactive, structured play

There are increasing concerns over changes in children’s pastime activities

(Allen & Vella, 2015; Elkind, 2003; Grey, 2011; Louv, 2005; Mahoney et al., 2006; Schor,

2004; Sigman, 2005; Tremblay et al., 2011; Twenge, 2000)

Changes in pastime activities

• Shortage of children’s outdoor play spaces (Singer, Golinkoff,

& Hirsh-Pasek, 2006; Heritage Council of Ireland, 2010)

• Concerns about child safety / traffic volume (Carver, Timperio,

& Crawford, 2008; Clements, 2004; Singer et al., 2009; Veitch et al., 2006)

• More structured and organised activities (Christensen 2002;

Elkind, 2008; IPPA, 2006; McCoy, Byrne, & Banks, 2012)

• Technology is increasing as an important part of children’s free time activities (Downey, Hayes, O’Neill, 2007; Elkind, 2003;

Singer & Singer 2005; Singer, Golinkoff, & Hirsh-Pasek, 2006)

Research Questions

• How much time do 9-year-olds spend with screen time?

• How many structured cultural activities are children enrolled in?

• Is there a relationship between children’s pastime activities, socio-emotional wellbeing and self-concept?

Methodology

• Growing Up in Ireland -National Longitudinal Study of Children in Ireland

• Child cohort interviews with caregivers, children, teachers

• Wave 1 - 2007/2008 at age 9 (n=8568)

• Outcome measures:

• Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire Parent Report (SDQ)

• Piers Harris Self-Concept Scale

Screen time on an average day

Tv/video/DVD Computer Video GamesNoneLess than an hour1-3 hours3-5 hours

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Tv/video/DVD Computer Video Games

Boys

(n=4220)

Girls (n=4040)

Number of structured cultural activities

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Boys (n= 4024) Girls (n= 4242)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Types of structured cultural activities

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Sports/Fitness club

Cultural activities

Youth club

Scouts/Guides/Boys Brigade/GirlsBrigade

Homework Club

Other

Boys

Girls

Screen Time & SDQ Scores

0 2 4 6 8 10

boys low screen time (n=870)

boys mid screen time (n=2220)

boys high screen time (n=1106)

girls low screen time (n=1093)

girls mid screen time (n=2262)

girls high screen time (n=669)

Mean SDQ Score

*

*

*

*

Screen Time & Piers Harris Scores

45 45.5 46 46.5 47

boys low screen time (n=812)

boys mid screen time (n=2061)

boys high screen time (n=1035)

girls low screen time (n=1008)

girls mid screen time (n=2134)

girls high screen time (n=630)

Mean Piers Harris Score

Activities & SDQ Scores

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Boys no activity (n=423)

Boys 1-2 activities (n=3424)

Boys 3+ activities (n=350)

Girls no activity (n=436)

Girls 1-2 activities (n=3011)

Girls 3+ activities (n=578)

Mean SDQ Score

*

*

Activities & Piers Harris Scores

43 43.5 44 44.5 45 45.5 46 46.5 47

Boys no activity (n=386)

Boys 1-2 activities (n=3196)

Boys 3+ activities (n=327)

Girls no activity (n=409)

Girls 1-2 activities (n=2819)

Girls 3+ activities (n=545)


*

*

Adverse Life Events

%

0

1

2

3

4

5 or more

Adverse life events can have

longlasting negative effects (Edwards, Holden, Felitti, & Anda, 2003; Lucas,

2007; Turner & Lloyd, 1995)

But – maybe U shaped? (Seery,

2011)

Ordinary magic (Masten, 2001)

Number of adverse life events child has

experienced

Types of adverse life events

Death of a close family member 42.2% (3613)

Moving House 41.8% (3579)

Divorce/separation of parents 14.6% (1254)

Serious illness/injury of a family member 13.3% (1136)

Conflict between parents 12.2% (1048)

Moving Country 10.3% (879)

Death of a close friend 6% (518)

Serious illness/injury 4.7% (405)

Mental disorder in the immediate family 3.5% (302)

Drug taking/alcoholism in the immediate family 3.4% (295)

Death of a Parent 2.5% (216)

Other disturbing event 1.8% (153)

Stay in foster home/residential care 1.3% (115)

Parent in prison 0.9% (79)

None of the above 21.3% (1826)

Adverse Life Events & SDQ Scores

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Boys 0 ALE (n=946)

Boys 1-2 ALE (n=2421)

Boys 3+ ALE (n=830)

Girls 0 ALE (n=823)

Girls 1-2 ALE (2204)

Girls 3+ ALE (n=783)

Mean SDQ Score

*

*

*

*

*

*

Adverse Life Events & Piers Harris Scores

43 44 45 46 47 48

Boys 0 ALE (n=883)

Boys 1-2 ALE (n=2283)

Boys 3+ ALE (n=743)

Girls 0 ALE (n=787)

Girls 1-2 ALE (n=2204)

Girls 3+ ALE (n=783)


*

*

*

*

Regression Model• Outcome variable:

Primary Caregiver’s SDQ rating

Child’s Piers Harris rating

• Focal Variables:

screen time and structured cultural activities

Mediating variables:

• Child Variables: Gender, health, on-going illnesses, learning difficulty, obesity status, friends, bullying, scholastic performance (Drumcondra reading and maths scores), temperament (EAS Scale) and adverse life events

• Parent Variables: PC’s highest level of education, PC depression level, PC parenting style, child-parent relationship (Pianta Scale)

• Family Variables: social class, income, family type, number of siblings and family quality time

• Community Variables: region, perceived safety of neighbourhood

SDQ Regression Model

• Model 1: Screen time & Cultural activities 2.3%

• Model 2: Model 1+ Child Variables 42.7%

• Model 3: Model 2+ Parent Variables 53.3%

• Model 4: Model 3+ Family Variables 53.9%

• Model 5: Model 4+ Community Variables 54.2%

High screen time and no cultural activities significant predictors

Biggest individual contributors:

Child Characteristics (ongoing illness, learning difficulty, 0-1 close friends, low emotionality, high emotionality, low sociability)

Parent-Child relationship (high child-parent conflict, low child parent conflict)

Piers Harris Regression Model

• Model 1: Screen time & Cultural activities 0.5%

• Model 2: Model 1+ Child Variables 10.6%

• Model 3: Model 2+ Parent Variables 11.5%

• Model 4: Model 3+ Family Variables 12.1%

• Model 5: Model 4+ Community Variables 12.3%

Low screen time significant predictor.

Biggest individual contributors:

Child Characteristics: bullying, learning difficulty, low reading,low maths, high maths scores, low emotionality, high activity

Others: low family income, parenting, low conflict, urban area

Discussion

• Most screen time is TV and most children spend less than 3 hours watching television

• Boys are more likely to be enrolled in sports clubs, girls are more likely to be enrolled in other activities

• Association between screen time and SDQ

• Association between no participation in structured cultural activities, SDQ and Piers Harris

• Association between adverse life events and SDQ

• Association between adverse life events and Piers Harris

• Regression shows that other factors are more influential

• Regression models highlights importance of holistic model and dynamic nature of child well-being

Thank you!

[email protected]

My research is funded under the DCYA Growing Up in Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship scheme (in conjunction with the Irish Research Council).

Documents

Building Resilience, Enhancing Social Support: What research … · 2020. 4. 30. · Trace Moroney feelings books series. National Childhood Network How can we support children to