Promoting-academics program: Effects on the promotion of social interactions and mental health

Abstract

It is needed a developed repertoire of social skills in order to achieve a satisfying development in the university, although it is not always present, which can bring consequences to mental health. This study aimed to assess the effects of the Promoting-Academics Program in freshmen and sophomores through a group experimental design, with repeated measures. Fourteen students participated in the study - nine in the Experimental Group, five in the Control Group - who were randomly distributed and presented equivalent initial measures. Instruments were applied to assess social skills and mental health whose data were statistically analyzed in comparisons between the groups. Results showed statistically significant behavior acquisitions in the Experimental Group for social skills and mental health, which were maintained in the follow-up measures. The same analysis between 1 and 2 baselines in the control group did not indicated any statistically significant chance. Considering the results, the conclusion is that the Promoting-Academics Program revealed itself effective.