Aussie Optimism Program
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Author(s): Clare Roberts, Brian Bishop, Robert Kane, Rosie Rooney, Yolanda Pintabona, Monique Nesa, Ruth Drake-Brockman and Donna Cross
Date of development: 2000
Website: www.psych.curtin.edu.au/research/aussieoptimism/index.htm
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Aim(s):
The Aussie Optimism Program is a comprehensive mental health promotion program for middle primary, upper primary and lower secondary school students. It includes four components. The three school-based components include Aussie Optimism: Social Life Skills; Optimistic Thinking Skills and the Positive Thinking Program. There is also a family-based component, entitled Aussie Optimism: A Program for Parents and Families. Overall, the aim of the Aussie Optimism Program is to promote mental health and prevent depression and anxiety in children and to assist them in meeting the challenges and stresses of life, particularly as they move towards adolescence. The program may be universally implemented within a classroom, or targeted towards children who are at risk of developing depression, anxiety and other associated behavioural and educational problems.
Target group:
The Positive Thinking Program (PTP) can be used for students in the middle primary school years 4 – 5. The Social Life Skills (SLS), Optimistic Thinking Skills (OTS) and Families and Parents Program (F&P) can be used for students in middle and late primary school years. They are also useful for secondary students who are struggling with the transition from primary school.
Designed for, or demonstrated applicability to, special groups:
The Aussie Optimism Program has been associated with positive outcomes in children from both rural and economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Program content and components:
Three school-based program components are available, each with 10 modules:
Positive Thinking Program
Module 1 – Planning for fun activities
Module 2 – Fear hierarchy
Module 3 – Identifying thoughts and feelings
Module 4 – The thought feeling connection
Module 5 – Helpful and unhelpful thinking
Module 6 – Looking for evidence and thinking positively
Module 7 – Changing negative thoughts
Module 8 – Negative thoughts and negative moods
Module 9 – Best, worst and most likely outcomes
Module 10 – Being positive
Social Life Skills
Module 1 – Introduction and feelings
Module 2 – Decision-making
Module 3 – Communication skills
Module 4 – Assertiveness 1
Module 5 – Assertiveness 2
Module 6 – Negotiation
Module 7 – Coping skills
Module 8 – Networks
Module 9 – Friends and families
Module 10 – Transition and review
Optimistic Thinking Skills
Module 1 – Awareness and identification of feelings
Module 2 – Awareness of self-talk
Module 3 – Linking thoughts and feelings
Module 4 – Thinking styles
Module 5 – Putting it together
Module 6 – Generating alternatives
Module 7 – Looking for evidence
Module 8 – Challenging unhelpful thoughts
Module 9 – De-catastrophising
Module 10 – Review and evaluation
Subsequently, a range of skills are taught in the program, including:
- Learning the link between feelings and thoughts
- Learning to develop an optimistic view of life
- Assertiveness and negotiation
- Coping strategies
- Social problem solving
- Dealing with family conflict
The Aussie Optimism Program places a strong emphasis on involving parents in classroom-based learning. Thus, three parent information booklets, which parallel the student components, are available. In addition, parent information sheets are included in the teacher resource book, such that teachers can photocopy and mail them to parents at the completion of each student module. A fourth family-based program component, Aussie Optimism: A Program for Parents and Families, is also provided. This self-directed program is aimed at parents of children making their transition to high school. This program and the classroom-based programs are introduced to families via newsletters and parent night talks which are supplied to schools on an easy to use CD-ROM. The Aussie Optimism research team have also been developing a similar program for children in grades 1-3. The Feelings and Friends program is currently being revised and evaluated in the Curtin Psychology Clinic with two at risk samples.
PROGRAM EVALUATION
Identified theoretical framework:
The ‘optimism’ components provided in Optimistic Thinking Skills and the Positive Thinking Program teach children to identify and challenge negative thoughts about the self, current life circumstances and the future that contribute to depressive and anxiety symptoms. In addition, attribution re-training is used to help older children make more accurate and optimistic explanations for both positive and negative life events. Children are taught to accurately identify, label and monitor their feelings. The social component of the program involves teaching children listening skills, assertiveness, negotiation, social problem-solving skills, decision-making and perspective taking. The children learn coping skills for dealing with a variety of controllable and uncontrollable life stresses, such as family conflict and making the transition to high school. These coping skills include strategies for actively solving problems, coping with negative emotions aroused by uncontrollable events, and seeking appropriate social support. The content of the Aussie Optimism Social Life Skills Program is guided by psychological and educational research on risk and protective factors, associated with the development of psychological problems in childhood, and the promotion of mental health in children. In addition, research on personal competence and resilience has been used.
Evidence of effectiveness:
(according to criteria developed by CASEL for rating program effectiveness)
Multiple studies document positive behavioural outcomes at post-test, with at least one study indicating positive behavioural impacts at follow-up at least one year after the intervention ended.
References supplied by program authors:
Bishop, B. & Roberts, C. (2005). The process of embedding and sustaining mental health promotion program in social contexts. Community Psychologist, 38, 14-16.
Quayle, D., Dziurawiec, S., Roberts, C., Kane, R. & Ebsworthy, G. (2001). The effects of an optimism and lifeskills program on depression in preadolescents. Behaviour Change, 18, 194-203.
Roberts, C. (2006). Embedding mental health promotion programs in school contexts: The Aussie Optimism Program International Society for the Study of Behaviour Newsletter.
Roberts, C., Kane, R., Bishop, B., Matthews, H. & Thomson, H. (2004). The prevention of depressive symptoms in rural school children: A follow-up study. The International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 6, 4 – 16.
Roberts, C., Kane, R, Thomson, H., Bishop, B. & Hart, B. (2003). The prevention of depressive symptoms in rural school children: A randomised controlled trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 71, 622 – 628.
Rooney, R., Roberts, C., M., Kane, R., Pike, L., Winsor, A., White, J. et al., (2006). The prevention of depression in 8- to 9-year-old children: A pilot study. Australian Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 16, 76-90.
PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION
Program structure:
The school-based components (which can run independently), each take place over ten 1 hour weekly sessions that involve instruction, discussions, activities and the chance for children to practice what they learn by role-plays and short homework tasks.
Staff professional learning (PL):
It is compulsory for teachers to participate in training workshops before conducting the Aussie Optimism Program. For each of the Positive Thinking Skills, Social Life Skills and Optimistic Thinking Skills components, one-day training is available. Training for the Aussie Optimism for Families and Parents is incorporated into the workshops for SLS and OTS. There are several options for training workshops:
- Accessing Training in Western Australia – School Staff Only
Teachers and school psychologists within the Western Australian schooling system (Department of Education, Catholic Education, and Independent Schools) can access training for free. Schools or district offices will incur a fee for the resources and minor incidentals associated with organising the workshop (e.g. catering). - Accessing Training in Western Australia – other Professional Organisations
Many professional organisations (e.g. Disability Services Commission, The Centre for Cerebral Palsy) and private psychologists have attended Aussie Optimism training workshops to help provide better services for their clients. The cost associated with this option is $190 per workshop (Social Life Skills, Optimistic Thinking Skills or Positive Thinking Program). These prices are inclusive of the materials required to conduct the programs. - Accessing Training in the Eastern States
Training of this nature is assessed on a case-by-case basis. Please contact the Chief Researcher to obtain a quote. It should be noted that the host organisation will also need to provide airfare, accommodation, and other travel costs for the travelling trainer. Thus, in order to make it cost effective, it is recommended that a group of 20-25 people participate in the workshop. - Train-the-Trainer workshops.
The train-the-trainer workshops comprise five days of workshops, as well as time required for additional reading. In 2008 this cost was $5,740 per participant. A maximum number of six participants can undertake this series of workshops at any one time. There are pre-requisites for individuals wishing to become trainers, and candidates are required to undertake a selection and on-going accreditation process. All trainers are required to have their implementation workshops evaluated on an ongoing basis, in order to maintain quality control and trainer accreditation. Trainers are expected to run at least two 2-day implementation workshops for teachers and/or other school staff per year in order to maintain accreditation.
Program costs:
Participation in the training workshops provides a Teacher Resource Kit that contains all the materials required to run the program. The kit consists of a Teacher’s Resource Manual, Student booklet, parent booklet, a copy of the Aussie Optimism for Parents and Families Program plus a CD-ROM which contains newsletter items and a parent presentation. Additional student and parent booklets can be purchased at a cost of $6.50 each, and additional Aussie Optimism for Parents and Families programs at $14 and the CD-Rom for $10.00. Teacher resources cannot be purchased without training.
About the author:
Chief researcher, Associate Professor Clare Roberts is a Clinical Psychologist with many years of experience working with children and families. She is the coordinator of clinical psychology training at Curtin University, where she teaches subjects such as developmental psychology, child clinical psychology, child and adolescent psychotherapy and rehabilitation and disability. Her research interests include mental health promotion and family and school interventions. She is involved with a number of advisory committees relating to children’s health and wellbeing, including the beyondblue: the national depression initiative, Triple P Parenting Program and the WA Curriculum Council’s Health and Physical Education Learning Area Outcomes Advisory Group.
Chief Investigator, Dr. Rosie Rooney, coordinates the Positive Thinking Program. She is a Clinical Psychologist who works in areas such as postnatal depression, adult anxiety and depression as well as working with childhood anxiety and depression. She is a senior lecturer at Curtin University of Technology where she teaches professional practice and health psychology. She also has a special interest in cross-cultural psychology. She has received grants aimed at preventing internalising disorders in children in the early and middle primary school years. Dr. Rooney is working to address the needs of cultural and linguistically diverse populations within this context. She is the treasurer for the State Clinical College of the Australian Psychological Society as well as the acting state chair for Health Psychology.
Contact information:
Assoc. Professor Clare Roberts (Chief Researcher)
School of Psychology
Curtin University of Technology
GPO Box U 1987
Perth, WA. 6845
Phone: (08) 9266 7992
Fax: (08) 9266 2464
Email: c.roberts@curtin.edu.au
Website: www.psych.curtin.edu.au/research/aussieoptimism/index.htm
Dr. Rosie Rooney
School of Psychology
Curtin University of Technology
GPO Box U 1987
Perth, WA. 6845
Phone: (08) 9266 3050
Fax: (08) 9266 2464
Email: r.rooney@curtin.edu.au
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It is important to note that inclusion of a program in this Guide does not constitute an endorsement by KidsMatter Primary. All program details were correct at time of publishing.
