Reinforcement of psychological resources in children under stress for poverty”

RICHAUD DE MINZI, MARÍA CRISTINA

Creta, Grecia

Conferencia; 27th International Conference of the Stress and Anxiety Research Society; 2006

Stress and Anxiety Research Society

The objective of the present work is to study the effects of the reinforcement of attachment, executive functions (impulse control and planning) and social skills over stress coping, in children at risk for poverty. The Argentine Questionnaire of Coping for children was administered, before and after intervention, to 55, 7-year old children, both sexes, at risk for poverty, and to a group of  45, 7-year old children, both sexes, from a state school, in a middle/low middle class neighborhood in the city of Buenos Aires. A six month program for the reinforcement of resources was developed with children at risk. The program consisted of 2-hour sessions per week, where one coordinator and an observer, psychologists or psycho-pedagogues, worked with children to increase attachment, impulse control, planning, and social skills.  The notorious increase in the use of functional coping strategies among children at risk after the reinforcement of attachment, impulse control, social abilities, planning and meta-cognition, supports the premise that reinforcing the child’s resources lowers menace perception and ensures more successful coping. Lastly, the fact that their results have come closer to those of the group that is not at risk, but are still below their standard, shows that improving and maintaining these children’s situation  takes time and ongoing efforts.