Implementing and Evaluating a Social-Emotional Learning Program for Refugee Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Implementing and Evaluating a Social-Emotional Learning Program for Refugee Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Implementing and Evaluating a Wellness and Social-Emotional Learning Program for Refugee Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic: EMPOWER (Emotions Program Outside the Clinic and Wellness Education for Refugees)

The overall goal of this overall goal is to pilot an adaptation of an established Social-Emotional Learning Program with novel wellness and COVID-19 safety components that are trauma-informed and culturally-specific in a resettled refugee community. In this pilot, "EMPOWER" (Emotions Program Outside the clinic and Wellness Education for Refugees), the study team will assess implementation outcomes (adoption, acceptability, and feasibility) of EMPOWER with refugee children and families during the COVID-19 pandemic through longitudinal evaluations and measurements of feasibility, acceptability, and attrition. The study team will also evaluate the impact of EMPOWER by assessing (a) children's social-emotional learning competence and (b) children's and family's COVID-19 knowledge.

The major question that guides this research is: can an adaptation of an established Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum effectively improve Social-Emotional wellness for refugee children and their families? The hypothesis is that participation in this program will (a) improve children's SEL competence and (b) lessen stress and improve quality of life for refugee families. The overall objective of this study is to establish and evaluate the preliminary efficacy and implementation of an adapted social-emotional learning (SEL) and Wellness Program for refugees: EMPOWER (Emotions Program Outside the clinic with Wellness Education for Refugees). To achieve the two aims of this study, the study team will conduct a wait-list controlled pilot to establish and evaluate the preliminary efficacy of participation in EMPOWER by assessing (a) children's SEL competence and (b) measures of mental health, stress, quality of life and wellness before and after participation in the program (Aim 1). Then, the study team will assess the implementation of EMPOWER with refugee children by using mixed methods to perform a summative evaluation of implementation outcomes-including fidelity, sustainability, and reach-in the Afghan refugee community (Aim 2).

The waitlist control arm will receive the EMPOWER curriculum after the evaluations. They will receive a second set of evaluations at the same time as the "post" evaluations of the control arm.

EMPOWER is an adapted social emotional learning (SEL) and wellness education initiative delivered to a community of refugee families that was developed through a pre-pilot in the New Haven Afghan refugee community in 2020. Unlike traditional school-based SEL curricula, EMPOWER partners with community organizations to provide translated and trauma-informed wellness education to family units. The program combines in-person (socially distant) and remote delivery of culturally-informed physical, emotional, and medical wellness tools adapted from evidenced-based behavioral medicine, refugee trauma and recovery, and community health research.

Using the Trait Meta Mood Scale - Evaluation of Attention to Feelings Score using a 7-question tool, each with a five-point Likert scale for possible responses. Score range: 0 (lowest attention to feelings) to 28 (highest attention too feelings).

Using previously-validated COVID-19 knowledge instrument -- Using five yes-no questions and three questions with free-text response elements. Score range: 0% correct to 100% correct (increments of 20%).

Using the PEDS-QL scale (3 versions with similar questions: one for 13-18 year olds, one for 8-12 year olds, and one which we will use for children <8). Each with a total of ten questions with a five-point Likert scale for older children and a 3-point Likert scale for children <8. For children 9 and older, the score range is 40 (lowest quality of life) to 40 (highest quality of life). For children under age 8, the score range is 20 (lowest quality of life) to 0 (highest quality of life).

Using the Perceived Stress Scale - 10 questions, each with a five-point Likert scale, with score ranges of 0 (lowest perceived stress) to 40 (highest perceived stress).

Inclusion Criteria: at least 1 year of schooling in the United States must speak: Pashto, Dari or English connected with the community organization: Elena's Light Exclusion Criteria: inability to meet any of the requirements of the inclusion criteria