Pathways to Resilience III: Beyond Nature vs. Nurture

Abstract # 284:
Sesame Street Resilience Project, Little Children, Big Challenges: Divorce
Presenter: Sri Harathi Co - Presenters: Joyce Lee, Victoria Mille, Ashley Rodgers, Isrin Srisethnil, Melanie Yu
The purpose of the Sesame Street Resilience Project is to determine the effectiveness of the multimedia home intervention toolkit, Little Children, Big Challenges: Divorce, in promoting resilience in young children ages 2 to 6 whose parents are either divorced or separated. Participating families were given the toolkits along with a 4 week schedule of activities that outlined specific activities for each day of the program. Participants were randomly assigned to the intervention or active control group. The intervention group received materials directly addressing the issue of divorce or separation by teaching families about attachment relationships, emotional understanding, and sense of self. The active control group was given the Healthy Habits toolkit, which addressed the topic of healthy eating and lifestyle in order to promote physical/mental resilience. Participants included 100 families from the Northeast and were evaluated by a questionnaire that the parent filled out at pre- and post-intervention. The questionnaire included standardized measures that evaluated the parent-child relationship, emotional competence, and emotional regulation. The project data are currently being analyzed, therefore the poster will discuss the results in greater length. The poster will also address the implications of home interventions and their effects on at-risk populations.