A recent study conducted by The University of Manchester has shed light on the effectiveness of a popular mental health intervention program for children. The research, published in the Journal of Educational Psychology, compared the outcomes of Passport: Skills for Life with traditional social and emotional learning (SEL) programs already implemented in primary schools.
Passport: Skills for Life is designed to help children aged 9 to 11 develop emotional management skills, cope with stress, and build strong relationships. The program consists of 18 weekly lessons covering topics such as emotions, friendships, and coping with change. Trained teachers deliver these lessons in class with the aim of preventing mental health issues like anxiety and depression.
The study involved over 2,400 children from 62 primary schools in Greater Manchester and nearby areas. Some schools implemented the Passport program, while others continued with their usual SEL curriculum. Surprisingly, the results showed that children who participated in the Passport program did not experience significant improvements in mental health symptoms, emotional regulation, well-being, or bullying compared to those following the standard school curriculum.
One possible explanation for these findings is that the Passport program did not offer substantial benefits beyond what schools were already providing. Many schools in the study were already using SEL programs, with a significant overlap in content between Passport and existing lessons. Professor Neil Humphrey, one of the researchers involved, noted that the quality of universal SEL education has improved over the years, making it challenging for new programs to demonstrate added impact.
The study also raised questions about the cultural adaptability of intervention programs developed in one country for use in another. The researchers plan to further analyze the data to explore the long-term benefits of the Passport program, its effectiveness for specific groups of children, and its cost-effectiveness.
In conclusion, while Passport: Skills for Life is a well-designed program, the study suggests that it may not offer significant advantages over existing SEL initiatives in English primary schools. The findings highlight the importance of evaluating the effectiveness of mental health interventions in different cultural contexts and the need for continuous improvement in supporting children’s mental well-being. Further research will be crucial in determining the best approaches to promoting children’s mental health in educational settings.
