IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i23p12332-d686567.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Existential Therapy for Children: Impact of a Philosophy for Children Intervention on Positive and Negative Indicators of Mental Health in Elementary School Children

Author

Listed:
  • Catherine Malboeuf-Hurtubise

    (Department of Psychology, Bishop’s University, Sherbrooke, QC J1M 1Z7, Canada)

  • Carina Di Tomaso

    (Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada)

  • David Lefrançois

    (Department of Educational Sciences, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Saint-Jérôme, QC J7Z 0B7, Canada)

  • Geneviève A. Mageau

    (Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada)

  • Geneviève Taylor

    (Department of Education and Pedagogy, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC H2L 2C4, Canada)

  • Marc-André Éthier

    (Department of Didactics, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada)

  • Mathieu Gagnon

    (Department of Education, Preschool and Primary School Teaching, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada)

  • Terra Léger-Goodes

    (Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada)

Abstract

Background: Philosophy for children (P4C) was initially developed in the 1970s and served as an educational program to promote critical thinking, caring, creative reasoning and inquiry in the educational environment. Quasi-experimental research on P4C, a school-based approach that aims to develop children’s capacity to think by and for themselves, has suggested it could be an interesting intervention to foster greater basic psychological need satisfaction in children in school settings. Objective: The goal of the present study was to evaluate the impact of P4C on basic psychological need satisfaction and mental health in elementary school students. Method: Students from grades one to three ( N = 57) took part in this study and completed pre- and post-intervention questionnaires. A randomized cluster trial with a wait-list control group was implemented to compare the effects of P4C on students’ mental health. Results: Analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) revealed a significant effect of group condition on levels of autonomy and anxiety, after controlling for baseline levels. Participants in the experimental group showed higher scores in autonomy, when compared to participants in the control group, and participants in the experimental group showed lower anxiety scores, when compared to participants in the control group. Conclusion: Overall, results from this study show that P4C may be a promising intervention to foster greater autonomy in elementary school children, while also improving mental health.

Suggested Citation

  • Catherine Malboeuf-Hurtubise & Carina Di Tomaso & David Lefrançois & Geneviève A. Mageau & Geneviève Taylor & Marc-André Éthier & Mathieu Gagnon & Terra Léger-Goodes, 2021. "Existential Therapy for Children: Impact of a Philosophy for Children Intervention on Positive and Negative Indicators of Mental Health in Elementary School Children," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-14, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:23:p:12332-:d:686567
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/23/12332/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/23/12332/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mario Biggeri & Marina Santi, 2012. "The Missing Dimensions of Children's Well-being and Well-becoming in Education Systems: Capabilities and Philosophy for Children," Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(3), pages 373-395, August.
    2. Anne Gadermann & Kimberly Schonert-Reichl & Bruno Zumbo, 2010. "Investigating Validity Evidence of the Satisfaction with Life Scale Adapted for Children," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 96(2), pages 229-247, April.
    3. Lubhana Malik Mental, 2019. "Mental Health in Adolescents," Global Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities, Juniper Publishers Inc., vol. 6(3), pages 45-46, March.
    4. Kirk Brown & Tim Kasser, 2005. "Are Psychological and Ecological Well-being Compatible? The Role of Values, Mindfulness, and Lifestyle," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 74(2), pages 349-368, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Katherine Klee & John P. Bartkowski, 2022. "Minding Mental Health: Clinicians’ Engagement with Youth Suicide Prevention," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-20, May.
    2. Zhihui Wang & Liangzhen Nie & Eila Jeronen & Lihua Xu & Meiai Chen, 2023. "Understanding the Environmentally Sustainable Behavior of Chinese University Students as Tourists: An Integrative Framework," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-17, February.
    3. Alfonso Urzúa & Claudia Miranda-Castillo & Alejandra Caqueo-Urízar & Franco Mascayano, 2013. "Do Cultural Values Affect Quality of Life Evaluation?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 114(3), pages 1295-1313, December.
    4. Mayer, Yael & Ilan, Rotem & Slone, Michelle & Lurie, Ido, 2020. "Relations between traumatic life events and mental health of Eritrean asylum-seeking mothers and their children's mental health," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    5. Fadime Kocapınar Batmaz & Ahu Ergen, 2022. "Mindfulness and Sustainable Consumption: Evidence from Students in Istanbul," Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, Richtmann Publishing Ltd, vol. 11, January.
    6. Wang, Lin & Ngai, Steven Sek-yum, 2020. "The effects of anonymity, invisibility, asynchrony, and moral disengagement on cyberbullying perpetration among school-aged children in China," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    7. Jani Hartikainen & Anna-Maija Poikkeus & Eero A. Haapala & Arja Sääkslahti & Taija Finni, 2021. "Associations of Classroom Design and Classroom-Based Physical Activity with Behavioral and Emotional Engagement among Primary School Students," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-12, July.
    8. Samari, Goleen & Catalano, Ralph & Alcalá, Héctor E. & Gemmill, Alison, 2020. "The Muslim Ban and preterm birth: Analysis of U.S. vital statistics data from 2009 to 2018," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 265(C).
    9. Xu, Wenxin & Shen, Wei & Wang, Shen, 2021. "Intervention of adolescent' mental health during the outbreak of COVID-19 using aerobic exercise combined with acceptance and commitment therapy," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    10. Sarah Koller, 2021. "Towards Degrowth? Making Peace with Mortality to Reconnect with (One's) Nature: An Ecopsychological Proposition for a Paradigm Shift," Environmental Values, , vol. 30(3), pages 345-366, June.
    11. Geurim Han & Junghwa Kim & Sun W. Park, 2018. "Extrinsic Value Orientation and Decreased Sustainability of Shared Resources: The Moderating Role of Situational Characteristics," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-13, June.
    12. Vanessa Lloyd-Esenkaya & Ailsa J. Russell & Michelle C. St Clair, 2020. "What Are the Peer Interaction Strengths and Difficulties in Children with Developmental Language Disorder? A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-27, April.
    13. Amy Isham & Birgitta Gatersleben & Tim Jackson, 2021. "Materialism and the Experience of Flow," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(4), pages 1745-1768, April.
    14. Yu Hu & Jingwen Hu & Yi Zhu, 2022. "The Impact of Perceived Discrimination on Mental Health Among Chinese Migrant and Left-Behind Children: A Meta-analysis," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(5), pages 2525-2541, October.
    15. Ericson, Torgeir & Kjønstad, Bjørn Gunaketu & Barstad, Anders, 2014. "Mindfulness and sustainability," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 73-79.
    16. Nicola Pontarollo & Mercy Orellana & Joselin Segovia, 2020. "The Determinants of Subjective Well-Being in a Developing Country: The Ecuadorian Case," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(8), pages 3007-3035, December.
    17. Haleemunnissa, S. & Didel, Siyaram & Swami, Mukesh Kumar & Singh, Kuldeep & Vyas, Varuna, 2021. "Children and COVID19: Understanding impact on the growth trajectory of an evolving generation," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    18. Esmail Shariati & Ali Dadgari & Seyedeh Solmaz Talebi & Gholam Reza Mahmoodi Shan & Hossein Ebrahimi, 2021. "The Effect of the Web-Based Communication between a Nurse and a Family Member on the Perceived Stress of the Family Member of Patients with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19: A Parallel Randomized Clini," Clinical Nursing Research, , vol. 30(7), pages 1098-1106, September.
    19. Jessica L. Schleider & Michael C. Mullarkey & Kathryn R. Fox & Mallory L. Dobias & Akash Shroff & Erica A. Hart & Chantelle A. Roulston, 2022. "A randomized trial of online single-session interventions for adolescent depression during COVID-19," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 6(2), pages 258-268, February.
    20. Lydia Zepeda & Anna Reznickova & Willow Russell, 2013. "CSA membership and psychological needs fulfillment: an application of self-determination theory," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 30(4), pages 605-614, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:23:p:12332-:d:686567. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.