The preschool edition of Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies (PATHS®) is a school-based, teacher implemented universal intervention designed to promote social emotional competence (SEC) as a foundation for improved mental health. SEC is a key domain of positive youth development (PYD). PATHS® is delivered as a curriculum and it is based on theories and research regarding SEC, brain development, and optimal school environments. This study was a two-wave pre to posttest, cluster randomized trial with multi-method and informant assessment (N = 285 four and five-year-old Swedish children; 145 wait-list control and 140 intervention, 26 preschools participated in the trial, clusters = 12 intervention schools; clusters = 13 control schools). Within three municipalities, the inclusion criterion was that a participating school must have at least one classroom of 4 to 5-year-old children. Preschools excluded from study participation were open preschools, parent cooperative preschools, and family day homes. After random assignment, schools were informed of condition assignment. Research team members were not blind to schools’ condition assignment. It was hypothesized that relative to children in control schools, children in intervention schools would evidence pre to posttest improvements in social emotional competence (hypothesis 1a, primary outcomes – emotional knowledge/awareness, social problem solving, executive functioning namely, inhibitory control, working memory) as well as other outcomes. Hypothesis, outcomes, and results concern the cluster level (i.e., preschool). Across conditions, the number of participating classrooms per school ranged from one to five, and the number of participating children per classroom was one to 17. Children in PATHS, relative to children in the control, evidenced improvements in working memory and prosocial play, but also showed an increase in hyperactive behaviors. Girls in PATHS, relative to girls in the control, showed improvement in emotional knowledge and reduced anxiety. These results are considered in light of efforts to promote positive development and mental health. The trial registration number at ClinicalTrials.gov is NCT04512157. Main funding was from Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research, the Swedish Research Council, Formas, and VINNOVA (dnr: 259-2012-71).

中文翻译：

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一项针对瑞典学龄前儿童的促进替代性思维策略 (PATHS®) 的集群随机试验

Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies (PATHS®) 的学龄前版本是一项以学校为基础的教师实施的普遍干预措施，旨在促进社交情绪能力 (SEC)，以此作为改善心理健康的基础。SEC 是积极青年发展 (PYD) 的关键领域。PATHS® 作为一门课程提供，它基于关于 SEC、大脑发育和最佳学校环境的理论和研究。本研究是一项前后测的两波随机分组试验，采用多方法和线人评估（N = 285 名 4 岁和 5 岁瑞典儿童；145 名等待名单控制和 140 名干预，26 名学前班参加了试验, 集群 = 12 所干预学校；集群 = 13 所控制学校）。在三个直辖市内，纳入标准是参与学校必须至少有一个班级为 4 至 5 岁的儿童。被排除在研究参与之外的学前班是开放式学前班、家长合作学前班和家庭日托所。随机分配后，学校被告知条件分配。研究小组成员并没有对学校的条件分配视而不见。假设相对于控制学校的儿童，干预学校的儿童将证明社会情感能力在测试前得到改善（假设 1a，主要结果——情感知识/意识、社会问题解决、执行功能，即抑制控制、工作记忆) 以及其他结果。假设、结果和结果涉及集群级别（即学前班）。跨条件，每所学校参与的教室数量从 1 到 5 个不等，每个教室参与的儿童数量为 1 到 17 个。多动行为的增加。相对于对照组的女孩，PATHS 中的女孩表现出情感知识的改善和焦虑的减少。这些结果是根据促进积极发展和心理健康的努力来考虑的。ClinicalTrials.gov 的试验注册号是 NCT04512157。主要资金来自瑞典工作生活和社会研究委员会、瑞典研究委员会、Formas 和 VINNOVA (dnr: 259-2012-71)。每个教室的参与儿童数量为 1 到 17 个。相对于对照组儿童，PATHS 中的儿童表现出工作记忆和亲社会游戏的改善，但也表现出多动行为的增加。相对于对照组的女孩，PATHS 中的女孩表现出情感知识的改善和焦虑的减少。这些结果是根据促进积极发展和心理健康的努力来考虑的。ClinicalTrials.gov 的试验注册号是 NCT04512157。主要资金来自瑞典工作生活和社会研究委员会、瑞典研究委员会、Formas 和 VINNOVA (dnr: 259-2012-71)。每个教室的参与儿童数量为 1 到 17 个。相对于对照组儿童，PATHS 中的儿童表现出工作记忆和亲社会游戏的改善，但也表现出多动行为的增加。相对于对照组的女孩，PATHS 中的女孩表现出情感知识的改善和焦虑的减少。这些结果是根据促进积极发展和心理健康的努力来考虑的。ClinicalTrials.gov 的试验注册号是 NCT04512157。主要资金来自瑞典工作生活和社会研究委员会、瑞典研究委员会、Formas 和 VINNOVA (dnr: 259-2012-71)。相对于对照组的女孩，表现出情绪知识的改善和焦虑的减少。这些结果是根据促进积极发展和心理健康的努力来考虑的。ClinicalTrials.gov 的试验注册号是 NCT04512157。主要资金来自瑞典工作生活和社会研究委员会、瑞典研究委员会、Formas 和 VINNOVA (dnr: 259-2012-71)。相对于对照组的女孩，表现出情绪知识的改善和焦虑的减少。这些结果是根据促进积极发展和心理健康的努力来考虑的。ClinicalTrials.gov 的试验注册号是 NCT04512157。主要资金来自瑞典工作生活和社会研究委员会、瑞典研究委员会、Formas 和 VINNOVA (dnr: 259-2012-71)。