Behavioral inhibition (BI) is an early-appearing temperamental trait characterized by intense negative affect and withdrawal behaviors to novel and challenging situations. Inhibited children are more likely to display social withdrawal and experience an increased risk for internalizing problems. Trait inference, the way children interpret…

Background: Behavior problems of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) bring many difficulties and stress to their parents, thus increasing their risk of depression. Recent studies have shown that the mindfulness and perceived social support may play significant roles in improving the depression of these parents as well as relieve their…

Background: Among children aged 6-16, there is a clear association between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and academic attainment. We wanted to know whether this association was replicated in younger children. Aims: To explore the relationship between children aged 4-8 with probable ADHD and their academic attainment and…

Increased attention is being placed on improving psychological well-being and academic achievement in school students. Prior research on meditation provides support for student improvement in these important educational areas. As part of a 9th grade Quiet Time school program, 98 students were randomly assigned either to learn the Transcendent…

Social and emotional development in early childhood has been shown to predict long-term outcomes, including school readiness and academic achievement. Early years practitioners need robust assessment tools to adequately identify early signs of social, emotional, behavioural and mental health (SEMH) difficulties. The current study aimed to develop…

The Me and My School Questionnaire (M&MS) is a brief self-report measure of elementary school students' (ages 8-12) social, emotional, and behavioral challenges. As there is a need for brief self-report screening measures for students in elementary, or primary, school, this study examined the factor structure and measurement invariance of the…

This study was an initial psychometric investigation of the Universal Behavior Screener (UBS), a nine-item screening measure developed by psychologists within the Hawai'i Department of Education (HIDOE) to identify elementary school youth at risk for social, emotional, and behavioral concerns. Data from nine teachers reporting on 230 students at…

Upper elementary students in a Title I rural school participated in an expressive arts-based resiliency small-group intervention entitled Resilient Warriors (RWs). This mixed-methods study revealed positive changes in participating students based on teacher ratings on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. We also found four qualitative…

This study was conducted to investigate whether a translated and adapted conversational training programme enhances emotion understanding in preschool children. Given the lack of such research in Pakistan (and outside the West in general), the training study reported here was conceived to fill this gap. Thirty-nine 5- to 6-year-olds at two school…

Evidence points to the possibility of promoting executive functions (EF) through school interventions. Little is known, however, about the effectiveness of this type of intervention in situations of social vulnerability. This study investigated the effectiveness of an EF intervention program applied with a sample of preschool children, in a…

The Skills Imperative 2035 is a five-year strategic research programme which is investigating future skills needs, skills supply and skill development, with a particular focus on the 'Essential Employment Skills' (EES) that are projected to be most vital across the labour market in 2035. This paper investigates childhood skill development and…

With the increasing prevalence of mental health issues among children, there is a growing need to implement school-based preventive programs for emotional well-being in Malaysia. Super Skills for Life (SSL) is a transdiagnostic preventive program designed based on the cognitive-behavioral therapy concept to address emotional problems among…

Low-level classroom disruption (LLCD) is characterised by pupils swinging on chairs, whispering or fidgeting in class. This paper provides initial data on the development and validation of the teacher-rated Low-Level Classroom Disruption Scale (LLCD-S), with two samples of primary school pupils. Exploratory factor analysis in Study 1 (N= 120)…

Given the dearth of technically adequate universal screening tools in the Greek language, the current study sought to examine the psychometric properties of a 67-item universal screener (i.e. Integrated Teacher Rating Form; ITRF), that was originally developed in American English and then translated and implemented in Greek primary schools. The…

Students with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD) often display externalizing behaviors (e.g., aggression and defiance) and experience internalizing symptoms (e.g., anxiety and depression). When left untreated, these difficulties can result in negative outcomes for students in school and beyond. Cognitive-behavioral interventions (CBIs) offer…