Super Skills for Life
Super Skills for Life (SSL) is an intervention programme which helps young people cope with emotional difficulties such as anxiety and depression. It is based on the principles of cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT) and behavioural activation and uses video-feedback and cognitive preparation as part of the treatment.
SSL provides young people with skills to:
• Enhance self-confidence, build emotional resilience, and improve social skills and competence.
• Cope with stressful situations, including life changes such as the transition from primary to secondary school.
• SSL (adolescent version) also covers techniques to improve health through healthy eating, physical exercise, and
sleep hygiene.
Super Skills for Life has 8 sessions which are typically delivered once or twice a week to a group of 6–8 young people, or to an individual child/adolescent. The sessions are structured with role play, homework, group and individual activities, video-analysis and feedback.
It can be delivered by teachers and other non-mental health professionals after a short training.
Meet the Authors
Prof Cecilia A Essau
Cecilia is Professor of Developmental Psychopathology and Director of Centre for Applied Research and Assessment in Child and Adolescent Wellbeing at the University of Roehampton, UK.
She is the author of 244 articles, and is the author/editor of 21 books in the area of youth mental health.
Prof Thomas H Ollendick
Tom is University Distinguished Professor in Clinical Psychology and Director of the Child Study Center at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA.
He is the author or co-author of 350 research publications, 75 book chapters, and 35 books.
Super Skills for Life - Delivery Partner Network
UK
Caritas Salford
Ms Georgina Jones
Service Manager, Caritas Schools’ Service
Cathedral Centre
3 Ford Street Salford M3 6DP
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UK
Father Hudson’s Care
Ms Rita Nag
Schools Family Support Project
Manager, Father Hudson’s Care
St George’s House
Birmingham B46 3FG
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SPAIN
Miguel Hernández University
Avda. de la Universidad s/n
03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain
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MALAYSIA
Sarawak
Dr Bernard Ting Chuong Hock
Dr Chen Yoke Yong
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS)
Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
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E:
MALAYSIA
Sabah
Ms Suwaibah Zakaria
Faculty of Psychology and Education
Universiti Malaysia Sabah
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
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MALAYSIA
Penang
Ms Priscilla Ho
Creativity At Heart
53 Westland Road
Penang, Malaysia
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POLAND
Dr hab. Anna Bokszczanin
Uniwersytet Opolski
45-052 Opole, Poland
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NORTHERN CYPRUS
Dr Fatos Ozeylem
Eastern Mediterranean University
North Cyprus
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TURKEY
Associate Prof Neslihan Karaman
Ankara University
Ankara, Turkey
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ROMANIA
Dr Alina Dafinoiu
Psihomentor, Iași, Romania
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MAURITIUS
Karishma Sharma Ramdhonee-Dowlot
Department of Psychology
University of Roehampton, UK
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CYPRUS & GREECE
Associate Prof Xenia Anastassiou-Hadjicharalambous
University of Nicosia
Nicosia, Cyprus
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PORTUGAL
Dr Tatiana C. Homem
Coordinator of Associação Pais Como Nós & Researcher at
Faculty of Psychology, University of Coimbra
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PORTUGAL
Dr Tatiana C. Homem
Coordinator of Associação Pais Como Nós & Researcher at
Faculty of Psychology, University of Coimbra
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PORTUGAL
Dr Tatiana C. Homem
Coordinator of Associação Pais Como Nós & Researcher at
Faculty of Psychology, University of Coimbra
E:
SSL workshop in Kuala Lumpur (July 2019) for the Ministry of Youth and Sport
NIGERIA
Dr Rosemary Ekechukwu
University of Port Harcourt
Rivers State, Nigeria
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MEXICO
Ashley Yoav Saldaña Gutierrez
Professor Alma Vallejo
Universidad Veracruzana
Veracruz, México
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PAKISTAN
Dr Aneela Maqsood
Department of Behavioral Sciences
Fatima Jinnah Women University
Rawalpindi, Pakistan
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PAKISTAN
Prof Dr Rukhsana Kausar
Vice Chancellor, Government College Women University
Sialkot, Pakistan
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PAKISTAN
Prof Dr Nashi Khan
Director & Dean FSS
Counseling & Wellness Centre
Rashid Latif Medical Complex &
Rashid Latif Khan University
Lahore, Pakistan
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GERMANY
Prof Gunter Groen
Hamburg University of Applied Sciences
Department of Social Work
20099 Hamburg, Germany
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GERMANY
Dipl.-Päd. Peter Mroczek
Praxis für Kinder- und Jugendlichenpsychotherapie
21423 Winsen (Luhe), Germany
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OMAN
Dr Angie Cucchi
Regent's University London
Regent’s Park campus
London NW1 4NS
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PORTUGAL
Dr Tatiana C. Homem
Coordinator of Associação Pais Como Nós & Researcher at
Faculty of Psychology, University of Coimbra, Portugal
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If you wish to be a Super Skills delivery partner in your country contact
Prof Cecilia Essau:
ITALY
Dr Elisa Delvecchio
Assistant Professor in Psychology
Department of Philosophy, Social Sciences and Education
University of Perugia, Italy
E:
SSL workshop in Kota Kinabalu (June 2019) for the Ministry of Youth and Sport
SSL workshop in Mauritius (May 2019) for various government departments
SSL workshop in Penang (February 2019) for the Ministry of Education
Heading 1
Publications: Super Skills for Life programme
Karishma Ramdhonee-Dowlot, K., Balloo, K., & Essau, C.A. (2021). Effectiveness of the Super Skills for Life programme in enhancing children’s emotional wellbeing in residential care institutions in low- and middle-income country: A randomised waitlist-controlled trial. Journal of Affective Disorders, 278, 327-338.
Melero, S., Morales, M., Espada, J.P., & Orgilés, M. (in press). Improving Social Performance Through Video-feedback with Cognitive Preparation in Children with Emotional Problems. Behavior Modification.
Allan, S., Uzun, B., & Essau, C.A. (in press). Impact of a transdiagnostic prevention protocol for targeting adolescent anxiety and depression. Psychologica.
de la Torre-Luque, A., Fiol-Veny, A., Essau, C.A., Maria Balle, M., & Bornas, X. (2020). Effects of a transdiagnostic cognitive behaviour therapy-based programme on the natural course of anxiety symptoms in adolescence. Journal of Affective Disorders, 264, 474-482.
Orgilés, M., Espada, J.P., & Morales, A. (2020). How Super Skills for Life may help children to cope with the COVID-19: Psychological impact and coping styles after the program. Revista de Psicología Clínica con Niños y Adolescentes, 7, 88-93.
Fernández-Martínez, I., Espada, J. P. y Orgilés, M. (2020) Super Skills for Life: Eficacia de un programa transdiagnóstico de prevención indicada para los problemas emocionales infantiles. Revista de Psicología Clínica con Niños y Adolescentes, 6, 24-31
Fernández, I., Morales, A., Espada, J.P. y Orgilés, M. (2020). Effects of Super Skills for Life on the social skills of anxious children through video analysis. Psicothema, 32(2), 229-236
Orgilés, M., Garrigós, E., Espada, J.P., & Morales, A. (2020). How does a CBT-based transdiagnostic program for separation anxiety symptoms work in children?: Effects of Super Skills for Life. Revista de Psicología Clínica con Niños y Adolescentes, 7 (2), 9-15. doi: 10.21134/rpcna.2020.07.2.1
Orgilés, M., Melero, S., Fernández-Martínez, I., Espada, J. P., y Morales, A. (2020). Effectiveness of video-feedback with cognitive preparation in improving social performance and anxiety through Super Skills for Life programme implemented in a school setting. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18; 17(8):2805
Fernández-Martínez, I., Orgilés, M., Morales, A. Espada, J. P., & Essau, C. (2019). One-year follow-up effects of a cognitive behavior therapy-based transdiagnostic program for emotional problems in young children: a school-based cluster-randomized controlled trial. Journal of Affective Disorders, 262, 258-266.
Fernández-Martínez, I., Morales, A., Espada, J. P., Essau, C. A., y Orgilés, M. (2019). Effectiveness of the program Super Skills for Life in reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression in young Spanish children. Psicothema, 31(3), 298-304.
Orgilés, M., Fernández-Martínez, I., Espada, J. P. y Morales, A. (2019). Spanish version of Super Skills For Life: short and long-term impact of a transdiagnostic prevention protocol targeting childhood anxiety and depression. Anxiety, Stress & Coping, 32, 649-710.
Essau, C.A., Sasagawa, S., Jones, G., Fernandes, B., & Ollendick, T.H. (2019). Evaluating the real-world effectiveness of a Cognitive Behavior Therapy-based transdiagnostic programme for emotional problems in children in a regular school setting. Journal of Affective Disorders, 253, 357-365.
Ramdhonee-Dowlot, K.S. & Essau, C.A. (2018). Super Skills for Life: Trans-Diagnostic Prevention Programme for Emotional Problems in Children. In Sapra, R. (ed.), Reflections: Skills for Social and Emotional Well Being (41 – 59). New Delhi, India: Authorspress.
Essau, C.A., Olaya, B., Sasagawa, S., Pithia, J., Bray, D., & Ollendick, T.H. (2014). Integrating video-feedback and cognitive preparation, social skills training and behavioural activation in a cognitive behavioural therapy in the treatment of childhood anxiety. Journal of Affective Disorders, 167, 261–267.