Abstract
Anxiety and depression are the main complaints related to mental health in childhood and constitute a public health problem. In Brazil, there are few studies that describe evidence-based early intervention actions for these psychopathologies. Considering the problems related to anxiety and depression in childhood and their relative stability in development, health promotion and prevention actions are justified. One of the evidence-based programs directed toward health promotion and prevention of anxiety and depression in childhood is the FRIENDS Program (Fun FRIENDS). Therefore, this study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of the FRIENDS program regarding the reduction in symptoms of anxiety and depression and increase in socioemotional skills, in a city of Paraná state. A total of 25 children, aged from 5 to 7, and their caregivers participated. The CBCL (Child Behavior Checklist), SDQ (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) and SCAS (Spence Children’s Anesthesia Scale) were used as the evaluation instruments. The results demonstrated increases in socioemotional skills and reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms. Thus, it was concluded that there is evidence that supports the effectiveness of the program for the Brazilian population.
Keywords:
Health promotion; preventive programs; anxiety; depression; childhood