%A Pophillat,Eugenie %A Rooney,Rosanna M. %A Nesa,Monique %A Davis,Melissa C. %A Baughman,Natalie %A Hassan,Sharinaz %A Kane,Robert T. %D 2016 %J Frontiers in Psychology %C %F %G English %K Children,Randomised controlled trial,Anxiety and depression,internalising problems,universal school-based program %Q %R 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01928 %W %L %M %P %7 %8 2016-December-15 %9 Original Research %+ Rosanna M. Rooney,School of Psychology and Speech Pathology, Curtin University,Perth, WA, Australia,R.Rooney@curtin.edu.au %# %! Reducing Internalising Problems in 6-8 year olds. %* %< %T Preventing Internalizing Problems in 6–8 Year Old Children: A Universal School-Based Program %U https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01928 %V 7 %0 JOURNAL ARTICLE %@ 1664-1078 %X The Aussie Optimism Program: Feelings and Friends (AOP-FF) is a 10 week, universal mental health promotion program based on social/emotional and cognitive and behavioral strategies. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the efficacy of a universal Cognitive Behavioral Therapy based program in preventing and reducing internalizing problems in 6–8 year olds (Years 1–3 in Australia). Year 1–3 students from a low SES primary school (N = 206) were randomly assigned in classes to either an intervention or a control group and assessed at baseline and post-test. Results showed a significant (p = 0.009) and small to moderate (partial eta-squared = 0.034) pre-post decrease in parent-reported anxiety symptoms for the intervention group, in conjunction with a non-significant (p = 0.708) and negligible (partial eta-squared = 0.001) pre-post increase for the control group. A larger randomized controlled trial assessing longer term effects is needed. In addition the program needs to be simplified for year 1–2 students with a separate more developmentally appropriate program for year 3 students.