Bob Henley, Ph.D. Research Psychologist Swiss Tropical Institute

1. Psychosocial Sport & Play Programs: Buffering the Effects of Conflict & Disaster Through Enhancing Resilience? Bob Henley, Ph.D. Research Psychologist Swiss Tropical Institute Dept. Of Public Health, Epidemiology & Social Health Socinstrasse 57, PO Box, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland bob.henley@unibas.ch

2. Overview of this discussion • Use of sport & play in humanitarian aid settings • Resilience & protective factor building blocks • The Beslan Resilience program for youth • Beslan program research: results & challenges • Next steps to be considered

3. Psychosocial sport & play programs are used to address numerous health & social problems: • During & after wars or civil conflicts • To provide healthcare education, support & services • In response to social problems - to address issues of poverty, and to encourage participation in school • After disasters to help re-establish community, social & psychological stability • “Sport itself is actually a neutral or empty practice that is filled in with meanings, values and ideas by the culture in which it takes place and the individuals who take part”Guest (2005).

4. Central questions regarding rehabilitation after severely stressful or traumatic events: • Why do some people seem to overcome traumatic or severely stressful life events easier or more quickly than others? • Why do some people seem to be unaffected, or even become stronger after stressful life events? • Is this something that can be taught? And can structured sports & play activities help do this? We think yes...

5. How can psychosocial sport & play programs help children manage the effects of adversity? • Not clear: little empirical research currently exists • My theory: A key influence may be Resilience - what is it? • From physics: The power or ability to return to the original form, position, etc., after being bent, stretched or compressed; elasticity (e.g., bridges) • From developmental psychology: „A dynamic process encompassing positive adaptation within the context of significant adversity. Implicit within this notion are two critical conditions: 1. An exposure to significant threat or severe adversity, and... 2.The achievement of positive adaptation despite major assaults on the developmental process” (Luthar 2000).

6. What Enhances the Development of Resilience? • Over 30 years of research has identified these key Protective-enabling Factors: • Healthy attachments with family • Close relationships with non-family adults (teachers, coaches, mentors,etc) • Healthy Peer Relationships • Involvement with & contributions to the community • Learning effective problem-solving & coping strategies that assist with adaptation

7. Examples of resilience competencies that emerge in times of adversity: • Being a leader for others during difficult times • Keeping hopeful • Dealing with unexpected events with confidence • Having the confidence & flexibility to know what to do when faced with challenges • Using your sense of humor to cope, stay calm & support others • Being able to adjust in any situation • Having a positive self-appraisement • Being persistent and concentrated in focus • Being determined and not giving up

8. Hypothesis: structured sport and play programs provide protective factors that enhance resilience • Coaches, teachers & mentors who can bond with children • An interactive & supportive peer environment, structured & supported by adult guidance • Coping skills & problem-solving strategies are taught • Buildingcommunity awareness, attachment& cohesion • Children’s psychological, social & behavioral strengths are thus gently supported in a play setting: In psychosocial sport programs winning is not the focus - healing is

9. Our research:Beslan Resilience Study (2004 school siege - hostage & bombing tragedy)(Vetter, Dulaev, Mueller, Henley, Kanukova & Gallo (2009); Impact of a Resilience Enhancing Program on Teenagers from Beslan (in review for publication now) • September 2004 - Beslan, North Ossetia school attack resulted in over 1300 hostages, 344 deaths (186 of whom were children) & 700 injuries • Summer 2006 - week long intensive „resilience enhancement“ programs were initiated for the kids of Beslan in the nearby mountains • 94 kids (mean age 13.35, 40% girls, 60% boys) participated in intensive mountaineering, first aid training, climbing & camping activities - under the guidance of the rescue team & therapists • We used the Russian version of Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) at the start and end of the program, and as a six month follow-up, to assess the program‘s effectiveness in enhancing the children‘s resilience. Results...

10. Non-hostages (N = 48) - A higher initial baseline, with resilience improvement after the program, then regression back to baselineHostages (N = 46) - A lower initial baseline score, resilience improvement after, and continuing resilience improvement after 6 months!! (significance at p <.001)(Vetter, et al, 2007; submitted)

11. Significance of these results • Some of the first empirical results we know of suggesting that children experiencing significant traumatic events can have their resilience enhanced via participation in sport & play activities • Even almost two years after a traumatic event, a short-term intensive activities program can enhance resilience in children • Kids experiencing significant traumatic events not only showed improved resilience by the end of the program, but reported continued improvement in resilience levels six months later! • These programs were led by caring adults with close ties to the kids, who encourged healthy peer interaction, taught coping skills and problem-solving strategies, and promoted connection with and commitment to a community

12. Possible limitations to this study of a resilience-based psychosocial program: • Not all kids may benefit from resilience programs (some may have high resilience already and not improve significantly - although they may help contribute to the resilience of others) • Psychosocial programs may not be able to manage children with more acute psychological, social or behavioral problems - these kids will require more intensive individual care • Only one study so far - more studies are needed before we can make more conclusive statements • The inclusion of a non-participating comparison group would have made the research stronger • Resilience is a promising concept - but needs much more development and research to be done in the field

13. What is needed? • More empirical research on community-based, resilience-focused sport & play practices • Identify best resilience enhancement practices that can be shared with other psychosocial, mental health and education professionals • Further development of resilience concepts, operationalizing these and putting them into practice • Develop & implement more resilience programs for children and youth

14. Resources: • International Platform on Sport & Development (Swiss Academy for Development) http://www.sportanddev.org/ • My papers: How Psychosocial Sport & Play Programs Help Youth Manage Adversity:A Review of What We Know & What We Should Research http://www.psychosocial.com/IJPR_12/Psychological_Sport_and_Play_Henley.html Helping Children Overcome Disaster Trauma Through Post-Emergency Psychosocial Sport Programs http://www.sportanddev.org/learnmore/sport_and_disaster_response/introduction/index.cfm?uNewsID=64

15. To review... • Touched on RESILIENCE as the possible key influence in sport and play programs • Looked at the Protective-Enabling factors that help to build resilience • Identified how sport and play programs look to provide the protective-enabling factors that enhances resilience • Looked at the case example of the Beslan Resilience Project, and what we learned

16. References & Key Articles • Bell, C., & Suggs, H. (1998 ). Using Sports to strengthen resiliency in children. Training heart. Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 7(4), 859-865. • Duncan, J., & Arntson, L. (2004 ). Children in Crisis: Good Practices in Evaluating Psychosocial Programming. Save the Children; http://www.savethechildren.org/publications/technical-resources/emergencies-protection/Good_Practices_in_Evaluating_Psychosocial_Programming.pdf • Grotburg (2001); Resilience Programs for children in disaster. Ambulatory Child Health, vol 7 • Loughry, etal (2006), The impact of structured activities among Palestinian children in a time of conflict; Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry, 47, 1211-1218 • Luthar, S. S., & Cicchetti, D. (2000). The construct of resilience: Implications for interventions and social policies. Development and Psychopathology, 12, 857-885 • Save the Children (2004); Classroom based intervention - impact evaluation (report) http://www.savethechildren.org/publications/technical-resources/education/CBI_Impact_Evaluation.pdf