Systematic Review of Social-Emotional Training Programs For Children and Adolescents

In recent decades the number of publications on social-emotional training programs has increased, achieving consideration as protective factors that facilitate the adaptation of the individual to their context and allow better coping with different life situations, as well as of stressful situations. The objective of the present study was to perform a systematic review of social-emotional training programs in children and adolescents in order to select the most appropriate ones. The search process was carried out in the following databases: PsycInfo, MedLine, ERIC, Red de Revistas Cientificas de America Latina y el Caribe, Scielo, PUBMED, with key words in English and Spanish and certain inclusion criteria. The results showed that of the 19 articles that were selected because they met the criteria, 17 training programs were identified, most of them carried out in Spain during the 2011-2015 period. The objectives of these training programs were to a greater extent, adapted to emotional intelligence, followed to a lesser extent by mixed training. The techniques used in these programs were identified, together with the duration of the interventions, the mode of application, the administrators and the recipients. Finally, of the total studies analyzed, most evidenced the effectiveness of training for some of the variables analyzed. The evidence presented may be useful for researchers and professionals in the area of health and education who work with children and adolescents.