Adapting Social Emotional Learning Curricula for an Urban Context via Focus Groups: Process and Outcomes

Abstract

Although internalizing problems are of particular concern in under-resourced urban schools, interventions are often not culturally relevant for this student population. The current study explored a process of seeking stakeholder input through focus groups to inform the cultural adaptation of Merrell’s Strong Kids curricula, an intervention targeting internalizing problems. Focus group feedback revealed themes related to the importance of increasing the relevance of the curricula to better address the community context (addressing anxiety associated with the political climate and capitalizing on community strengths) and better supporting students’ needs (building in more communication with caregivers, developing skills stakeholders wanted students to learn, addressing concerns they had about their students’ feelings and experiences, and the need for building in strategies to help students generalize and adapt skills across settings). The adapted intervention was then implemented with a sample of 43 elementary student participants. Pre/post differences in screening outcomes suggested large decreases in students’ internalizing symptoms. These findings suggest that research-based behavioral health interventions can be adapted to be more responsive to the needs of students in urban schools. Impact Statement There is a need for more equitable access to culturally responsive mental health interventions for students in urban communities. Although this need is emphasized in research and practice, few studies provide a systemic process school teams can utilize to seek stakeholder input to inform adaptations to existing evidence-based interventions. The current study includes an example of a systematic process teams can utilize to adapt interventions.