Resilience Across Borders’ Latest Research Published in Peer-Reviewed Journal
Resilience Builder Program® improved students’ resilience and academic engagement
Silver Spring, MD, March 21, 2022 – Resilience Across Borders, in collaboration with Catholic University’s Psychology Department and Alvord, Baker, & Associates, administered the Resilience Builder Program® (RBP) in five schools in the Washington, DC region serving students from economically marginalized communities. RBP is designed to teach children how to cope with disappointments and setbacks, from everyday frustrations to larger obstacles. Clinicians and graduate students delivered the intervention in 12 weekly small group lessons. To assess the effectiveness of the program in schools, 169 students were randomly assigned to receive the intervention immediately or following a one-semester delay. Students, teachers, and parents completed questionnaires at the beginning of the semester and following the intervention or semester delay.
Students who participated in the RBP reported improved self-efficacy and relations to others, both important domains of resilience. Their parents and teachers reported improved resilience. Students’ resilience was also related to academic functioning. Teachers reported that students who participated in the RBP showed significant improvements in study skills, academic engagement, interpersonal skills, and academic motivation. Students who participated in RBP also reported significant improvements in study skills and academic engagement. These findings are now published in the peer-reviewed journal “Evidence Based Practice in Child & Adolescent Mental Health.”
Based on the evidence that this program is effective in school settings, Resilience Across Borders is adapting the intervention so that teachers can administer the new Resilience Builder Program – Universal™ to their entire class. This new approach will reach many more students—about 300 this year alone.
Rich, B. A., Starin, N. S., Senior, C. J., Zarger, M. M., Cummings, C. M., Collado, A., & Alvord, M. K. (2022). Improved resilience and academics following a school-based resilience intervention: A randomized controlled trial. Evidence-Based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health.
About Resilience Across Borders
Resilience Across Borders is dedicated to increasing access to mental health interventions for all children and adolescents. Our research-based method helps youth build resilience so they can adapt to life’s challenges now and throughout their lives. Connect with us on resilienceacrossborders.org, Facebook, or Twitter.
Press Release