KIDS HELPING OTHER KIDS DEVELOP MENTAL RESILIENCE USING A "BOOK OF LIGHT"

Abstract

Mental health education to promote resilience in children has become paramount with the increase in mental health concerns post-COVID. Resilience can be developed through problem-solving, developing self-esteem, fostering hopefulness, making sense of chaos, creativity, kindness, breaking unhealthy thought patterns, and social connections. We designed a board game called “The Book of Light” to help children externalize and look at their problems from a distance. It involved answering a challenge to help a distressed animal presented as artwork in a deck of cards. A separate deck of cards contained mindfulness and emotional regulation tools, which they had to learn and impart to the animal. The game aimed to teach children to calm themselves, express their emotions, find meaning as they practice learning to be in another child’s shoes, make friends, become more open to new experiences, and find a safe space to talk about painful or difficult situations. This study focused on piloting the game using a Knowledge Translation-Integrated (KTI) participatory action framework to ensure the game was relevant to its users and stakeholders. It was aimed particularly at helping children develop positive coping strategies for difficult life experiences. The authors used a mixed-methods, qualitative-quantitative design to determine the game’s ability to potentially improve the meaning-mindset and emotional well-being in children and their families. Surveys were given to children aged 7 to 14 years and their parents/caregivers before and after being introduced to the game to test its credibility, feasibility, acceptability, and sustainability. The adults reported that a majority of the children had experienced traumatic life events, including bullying, the death, loss or critical illness of a family member, or divorce or separation from a parent or caregiver. Analysis showed a statistically significant improvement after only a week’s interval in the parents’ emotional well-being and meaning-mindset, even if they had not actively participated in the game. Changes in meaning mindset scores favourably predicted a shift in mental health for both children and adult participants. Families rated the game as credible in doing what it set out to do (improve well-being) and found it enjoyable. Having a chance to engage in the art component of the game and share their stories appeared to be the highlight for most children. Further research should explore this game's meaning-mindset and mental health longitudinally with a larger sample size and over a more extended period.