Effects of a SWELE program for improving mental wellbeing in children and adolescents with special educational needs: protocol of a quasi-experimental study.

Autor: Lee RLT; The Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. reginalee@cuhk.edu.hk.; School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Health, University of Newcastle, Medicine & Wellbeing, Callaghan, NSW, Australia. reginalee@cuhk.edu.hk., Chan SWC; Tung Wah College, Hong Kong, China., Chong YY; The Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China., Chau SWH; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China., Choi KC; The Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China., Chien WT; The Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: BMC pediatrics [BMC Pediatr] 2024 Dec 06; Vol. 24 (1), pp. 800. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Dec 06.
DOI: 10.1186/s12887-024-05288-8
Abstrakt: Background: Unstructured play has also been found effective on promoting positive emotions and emotional competence among children and adolescents with special educational needs (SEN). Unstructured Outdoor Play coupled with Mindfulness-based Interventions via 'Supporting Wellness in E-Child Learning Environments' (SWELE) program can foster the mental health and wellbeing of children and adolescents with SEN. Currently there is a lack of the unstructured play with mindfulness-based interventions in the special schools in Hong Kong. Thus, aim of the SWELE program is to examine the effects of unstructured play with mindfulness-based interventions-(SWELE) program combining unstructured outdoor play activities with mindfulness-based interventions to promote mental wellbeing among SEN children and adolescents.
Methods: This 16-week SWELE program focuses on combining unstructured outdoor play activities with mindfulness-based interventions to promote mental wellbeing among children and adolescents with SEN. Training workshops for schoolteachers, school principals, parents and student mental health ambassadors in each special school together with a 16-week SWELE program and each last 45-60 min. Unstructured play allows students the freedom to explore, create and discover without predetermined rules or guidelines. Outdoor unstructured play activities include naturally run, jump and move on a playground, riding a bike, climbing trees, playing tag, playing with blocks, colour, water play, and boxes. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design both with a quantitative measure using a single group pre- and post-tests quasi-experiment behavioural observational method to preliminarily evaluate the impact of SWELE Program on SEN children's and adolescents' mental wellbeing; and with a qualitative design to conduct eight focus group discussions including schoolteachers, school principals, parents, SEN students, school nurses from six selected special groups and to explore their perceptions and experiences after participated the SWELE program.
Discussion: The purpose of this protocol is to examine the effects of a 16-week SWELE program on the mood, anxiety level, social skills and playfulness behaviours among children and adolescents with SEN in the special schools in Hong Kong. From the evaluation and observation, the pre-set aim and objectives on the improvement of mental wellbeing in children and adolescents with SEN can be confirmed.
Trial Registration: ClinicalTrial.gov, NCT06112483. Registered on 31 October 2023.
Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Ethical approval for this study was granted by the Joint Chinese University of Hong Kong and New Territories East Cluster Clinical Research Ethics Committee, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Informed parental consents were obtained from parents of participants; informed written assent was obtained from participants. Consent for publications: Written consent for publication has been obtained from the parents of the participants. Competing interests: None of the authors have any competing interests regarding the SWELE study or this manuscript describing the protocol for the study, and the study has not received any funding or assistance from a commercial organization. The authors declare no competing interests.
(© 2024. The Author(s).)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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