SOCIAL SKILLS TRAINING WITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN

Abstract

Childhood is a phase of challenges, as it is characterized by the period of integral development. The presence of mental disorders, such as anxiety and depression, can compromise this development, triggering emotional adversities that children are not always prepared to face. The objective of this study was to verify if the acquisition of social skills through a training could reduce the indicators of psychic suffering. The study was longitudinal in nature study with comparison of groups. The instruments used were the System of Social Skills, Problems of Behavior and Academic Competence for Children, Spence Scale of Childhood Anxiety and Inventory of Childhood Depression. Mann-Whitney tests were conducted for independent samples between groups before and after the intervention. To verify whether the intervention had any effect, a repeated measures group difference test was conducted using the Wilcoxon test. The JT Method was also used to assess the impact of the intervention through individual changes. It was concluded that training was effective for the acquisition and expansion of the repertoire of social skills when individual analyzes were performed. Contributions reinforce the gains children can make by participating in a social skills training.