%0 Journal Article
%@ 2561-326X
%I JMIR Publications
%V 7
%N 
%P e42606
%T Evaluating a Social-Emotional Training Program for Refugee Families and Service Providers: Pilot Study
%A Al-Janaideh,Redab
%A Speidel,Ruth
%A Colasante,Tyler
%A Malti,Tina
%+ Research and Assessment, Centre for Leadership and Learning, York Region District School Board, 300 Harry Walker Pkwy S, Newmarket, York Region, ON, L3Y 8E2, Canada, 1 905 727 0022, redab.al-janaideh@yrdsb.ca
%K social-emotional training
%K strengths-based
%K mental health
%K refugee children
%K refugee caregivers
%K service providers
%D 2023
%7 5.5.2023
%9 Original Paper
%J JMIR Form Res
%G English
%X Background: Refugee children are often exposed to adversities that present a threat to their healthy development. Promoting refugee children’s social-emotional capacities may be an opportune, strengths-based avenue to nurture their resilience, coping strategies, and mental health outcomes amid these risks. Furthermore, supporting caregivers’ and service providers’ capacities to provide strengths-based care may result in more sustainable, caring environments for refugee children. However, culturally adapted initiatives that aim to promote social-emotional capacities and mental health in refugee children, caregivers, and service providers are limited. Objective: In this pilot study, we aimed to assess the feasibility and efficacy of a brief, 3-week social-emotional training program for refugee caregivers of children aged between 2 and 12 years and service providers who support refugees. This study had 3 central objectives. First, we examined whether refugee caregivers’ and service providers’ knowledge of core social-emotional concepts increased from pre- to posttraining, whether these increases were maintained 2 months later, and whether caregivers and service providers reported a high use of training-based strategies after the training. Second, we assessed if refugee caregivers reported any improvements in their children’s social-emotional capacities and mental health from pre- to posttraining and 2 months later. Finally, we evaluated whether caregivers and service providers experienced any improvements in their own mental health symptoms from pre- to posttraining and 2 months later. Methods: A total of 50 Middle Eastern refugee caregivers of children (n=26) aged between 2 and 12 years and service providers (n=24) were recruited using convenience sampling and participated in a 3-week training program. Training sessions were delivered via a web-based learning management system and involved a combination of asynchronous (video-based) and synchronous (web-based live group) sessions. The training was evaluated using an uncontrolled pre-, post-, and 2-month follow-up design. Caregivers and service providers reported their understanding of social-emotional concepts and mental health at pre-, post-, and 2 months after training and reported their use of training strategies after training. Caregivers reported their children’s social-emotional capacities and mental health through a presurvey, a series of postsurveys (after each module session and 1 week after the training), and a 2-month follow-up survey. The participants also reported their demographic information. Results: Caregivers’ and service providers’ knowledge of social-emotional concepts increased significantly from pre- to posttraining, and the service providers’ knowledge increase was sustained at the 2-month follow-up. Both caregivers and service providers reported high levels of strategy use. Furthermore, 2 markers of children’s social-emotional development (ie, emotion regulation and sadness over wrongdoing) improved after training. Conclusions: The findings highlight the potential of strengths-based, culturally adapted social-emotional initiatives to support refugee caregivers’ and service providers’ abilities to provide high-quality social-emotional care to refugee children. 
%M 37145855
%R 10.2196/42606
%U https://formative.jmir.org/2023/1/e42606
%U https://doi.org/10.2196/42606
%U http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37145855