​Dr. Laurence ​van Hanswijck de Jonge, MSc, PhD
Child Clinical Psychology & Neuropsychology-Cayman Islands

​Overview:

- The Penn Resiliency Program (PRP) is designed by the founding father of Positive Psychology Dr. Seligman and his research team.

-It is a group intervention for 7 to 16 year olds.

-The programme teaches cognitive-behavioral and social problem-solving skills and is based in part on cognitive-behavioral theories of depression.

-Central to the PRP is the notion that our beliefs about events mediate their impact on our emotions and behavior. Through this model, students learn to detect inaccurate thoughts, to evaluate the accuracy of those thoughts, and to challenge negative beliefs by considering alternative interpretations.

-PRP also teaches a variety of strategies that can be used for solving problems and coping with difficult situations and emotions. Students learn techniques for assertiveness, negotiation, decision-making, social problem-solving, and relaxation.

-The skills taught in the program can be applied to many contexts of life, including relationships with peers and family members as well as achievement in academics or other activities.*



Structure of the programme:

-PRP is typically delivered in 12 sessions and ranges from 45 to 60 minutes depending on age group.

-Children are divided by age into three groups: 7-9, 10-13, 14-17 years old. 

-Within each lesson, resilience concepts and skills are presented and practiced in a variety of ways.

-Skills are introduced through skits, role plays, short stories, or cartoons that illustrate the core concepts.

-Once the child has a firm understanding of these concepts, students discuss situations in which they used, or could have used, the concepts they have just learned.

-They are then encouraged to use the new skills in their daily life as part of their weekly homework.



​​Evidence of Effectiveness:  

-PRP is backed up now by 15 years of research. It has been evaluated in at least 13 controlled studies with more than 2,000 children and adolescents. 

-Taken together, the existing studies suggest that PRP prevents symptoms of depression and anxiety and increase social skills and academic acheivement.

-PRP’s effects also appear to be long-lasting. In studies that include long-term follow-ups, PRP’s effects sometimes endure for two years or more. In several studies, PRP has prevented elevated or clinically relevant levels of depression and anxiety symptoms. *