Building Resilience at Schools: Emotional and Biological Assessment and Treatment of Traumatic Stress

Summary

In the last four years alone, residents of Puerto Rico have experienced a slew of natural disasters including Hurricane Maria in 2017, earthquakes in 2019 and 2020, the continued COVID-19 pandemic from 2020-2022, and most recently Hurricane Fiona. This series of distressing events can lead to an increased need for mental health resources and trauma treatment. Furthermore, the unique single-district structure of the Puerto Rican education system allows for the efficient dissemination of potential interventions and treatment to all students. The purpose of this study is to examine two treatment conditions for educators and school-aged children in Puerto Rico experiencing burnout, fatigue, and high stress: delivery of a mindfulness-based educator curriculum and, for children who report Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptomatology, delivery of the mindfulness curriculum with the additional intervention of Cue-Centered Therapy (CCT). The study has two aims: 1) To assess the efficacy of the mindfulness curriculum and of CCT in a population of students, counselors, and teachers, characterized by high stress over the last few years of natural disasters and pandemic challenges and 2) To identify genetic contributions to resilience by analyzing gene expression in students before and after the intervention. The overarching goals of the investigators' research collaboration are to improve educators' psychological well-being and children's socioemotional development when faced with high stress and adversity and to improve mental health clinicians' competence and confidence in treating children exposed to trauma by training them in CCT. The investigators' research will identify critical biopsychosocial components responsible for the cognitive, behavioral, and emotional improvement and effective implementation strategies in a large but geographically dispersed school district. The knowledge base that will result from this study will inform the implementation of trauma-informed care in school settings and with populations experiencing stress and adversity, and contribute to the investigators' understanding of the underlying biology of these interventions to provide a rationale for further development and dissemination.

Eligibility

Age range

11–17 years

Sex

All

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Interventions

• Behavioral
  Start with the Heart Students

  The Start with the Heart curriculum includes psychoeducation, lessons, and activities, on mindfulness, neurobiology, meditation, positive thinking, movement, and nutrition to promote well-being. The curriculum will be taught in the classroom to students for 15-20 min per day for 6-8 weeks.

• Behavioral
  Start with the Heart Teachers

  Pure Edge Inc will train teachers to deliver the Start with the Heart curriculum. The training emphasizes the neuroscience of stress and educator self-care. The teachers will implement the training in their respective classrooms for 6-8 weeks.

• Behavioral
  Cue Centered Therapy Counselors

  The Early Life Stress and Resilience Program team members will train school counselors on Cue-Centered Therapy through self-paced online modules, virtual and in-person live training, and office hours as needed. Counselors will implement the intervention with eligible students for 15-18 weeks.

• Behavioral
  Cue Centered Therapy Students

  Students who report a threshold of PTSD symptoms will be offered participation in Cue-Centered Therapy with their school counselors. They will have one-on-one therapy that targets trauma experiences through cognitive behavioral tools, narrative therapy, exposure therapy, psychoeducation, and more. Their caregivers will be involved as needed. They will enroll in treatment for 15-18 weeks.

Locations (3)