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.

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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. 

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It can be delivered by teachers and other non-mental health professionals after a short training.
 

YouTube of SSL:  https://youtu.be/ri3F8EnF0V4

ITALY

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Dr Elisa Delvecchio
Assistant Professor in Psychology
Department of Philosophy, Social Sciences and Education
University of Perugia, Italy
E: elisa.delvecchio@unipg.it
 

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

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Publications: Super Skills for Life programme

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.