A social emotional learning intervention to reduce psychosocial difficulties among rural children in central China

Abstract Programmes based on social emotional learning (SEL) have been effective in reducing psychosocial difficulties in a number of countries. In Mainland China, there has been no empirical research on the prevention of children's psychosocial difficulties using the SEL approach. This study aimed to assess whether an adapted version of the SEL programme can reduce psychosocial difficulties of primary school children in rural China. The intervention consisted of 16 weekly 90‐min class sessions, conducted among 206 children aged 8–12 years (with 290 controls) in a poor rural area of Central China. Self‐report questionnaires were administered at baseline, post‐intervention and 5‐month follow‐up. The results suggested that the programme (1) can reduce children's total difficulties (measured using the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire) at post‐intervention ( d = −0.18) and 5‐month follow‐up ( d = −0.19), (2) was more effective among children experiencing verbal abuse ( d = −0.21) or physical abuse ( d = −0.24) from caregivers and (3) was popular among more than 90% of the participants. The programme is cheap, easy to implement and can be delivered in school hours. Therefore, it has clear potential for replicability and sustainability.