Resilience programme improves wellbeing of pupils in trial areas

By Joe Lepper Thursday, 30 April 2009

Pupils with low attainment levels can benefit most from US-style psychology courses aimed at improving emotional wellbeing, research has shown.

Illustration of school children and rainbow. Credit: Danny Allison

Early results of the UK Resilience Programme pilot, taking place in 22 schools across Manchester, Hertfordshire and South Tyneside, show that anxiety and depression levels went down in pupils taking part in the scheme. Results were most pronounced among those with below average attainment levels.

Roger Catchpole, principal consultant at the charity Young Minds, said: "It is welcome that there is now some evidence that those most in need benefit from such schemes."

The programme is being piloted by the Young Foundation and is based on courses designed by American psychologist Martin Seligman, called the Penn Resiliency Programme. It uses psychological techniques to teach pupils about assertiveness, negotiation, decision-making, self-esteem, problem-solving and relaxation. In many schools, the courses took place during the pupils' personal and social health education lessons.

Interim findings by the London School of Economics, published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families last week, revealed many of the pupils had already applied skills learnt in the course in everyday life and showed a good understanding of the psychology techniques involved.

However, some teachers said some pupils struggled with the content of the courses, which they said was "quite intellectually demanding".

A spokeswoman for the Young Foundation said further evaluation will be carried out during the summer on whether there had been improved behaviour, attendance and attainment.

Catchpole hopes the government will roll out intensive resilience programmes nationwide. "My only concern is whether the benefits are sustainable. I would like more evidence that such courses improve emotional well-being over time," he said.

Running alongside the resilience programme is the Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning programme, which has been adopted by about half of all primary and secondary schools. This is seen by some experts as a more general course on emotional wellbeing.