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Promoting Social Emotional Competences and Mental Wellbeing Among Children and...
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Promoting Social Emotional Competences and Mental Wellbeing Among Children and Adolescents Through Digital Technologies

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Mental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (5 May 2025) | Viewed by 4687

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Heng Luo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Artificial Intelligence in Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
Interests: mixed reality; learning sciences; instructional design; digital learning; social emotional learning; psychological wellbeing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Ikseon Choi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
The Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
Interests: learning systems science; integration of AI; virtual reality; biosensing technologies for human learning, performance, and well-being; health professions education; education for health outcomes

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Social emotional competence (SEC) and mental wellbeing are essential for healthy development and quality of life among children and adolescents, especially as they progress towards adulthood; however, a worrisome portion of the global youth population struggle with mental health issues and SEC deficiencies, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Digital technologies—such as mobile apps, virtual reality, serious games, and large language models—offer potential solutions to this problem, as recent meta-analyses have proven the overall beneficial effects of these technologies (Chen et al., 2024; Zhang et al., 2024).

To further harness the affordances of digital technologies, this Special Issue welcomes submissions of design cases, impact studies, longitudinal and cross-sectional studies, as well as systematic reviews and meta-analyses that explore the utilization of various technological advancements to enhance SEC and mental wellbeing among youth. Topics include, but are not restricted to, the design and evaluation of innovative interventions, technology-assisted diagnosis and assessment methods, and analyses of influencing factors.

Dr. Heng Luo
Prof. Dr. Ikseon Choi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • social emotional competence
  • mental wellbeing
  • digital technologies
  • virtual reality and augmented reality
  • mobile apps
  • serious games
  • large language models
  • learning design

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 499 KiB  
Article
Examining Differential Effects of Digital Parent Training for Child Behavior Problems on Maternal and Paternal Outcomes
by Or Brandes, Chen R. Saar and Amit Baumel
Children 2025, 12(4), 469; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12040469 - 6 Apr 2025
Viewed by 300
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Parent training programs (PTPs) have long been recognized as effective interventions for early onset of child behavior problems, with evidence showing significant improvements in parenting practices and child outcomes. However, little is known about potential differences in treatment outcomes between mothers and [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Parent training programs (PTPs) have long been recognized as effective interventions for early onset of child behavior problems, with evidence showing significant improvements in parenting practices and child outcomes. However, little is known about potential differences in treatment outcomes between mothers and fathers. This study examined changes in parenting practices and self-efficacy between mothers and fathers (n = 31 couples). Methods: Couples participated in a 10-week digital parent training program for child behavior problems. Both parents completed measures of parenting practices (Parenting Scale, Alabama Parenting Questionnaire) and self-efficacy (Parenting Tasks Checklist, Me as a Parent Scale) at baseline and post-intervention. Results: Significant, large-effect-size improvements in most parenting variables were found for both mothers and fathers (ps ≤ 0.03, ηp2 ≥ 0.15). No significant interaction effects were found between the parent (mother, father) and intervention time (pre, post-intervention) in parenting variables (p ≥ 0.18), indicating similar patterns of improvement. Mothers reported higher levels of positive parenting practices compared to fathers regardless of intervention time (p = 0.01, ηp2 = 0.19). The initial severity of child behavior problems moderated differences between parents in improvements in sense of competence (U = 171.50, p = 0.03), with smaller mother–father gaps observed for families beginning with higher levels of child behavior problems. No other demographic variables moderated parent differences. Conclusions: Digital delivery format may help promote more equitable benefits for both parents. Further research with larger samples and longer follow-up time is needed to validate these preliminary findings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Promoting Social Emotional Competences and Mental Wellbeing Among Children and Adolescents Through Digital Technologies)
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22 pages, 2102 KiB  
Article
Affording Social Experience for Adolescents Using Immersive Virtual Reality: A Moderated Mediation Analysis
by Gege Li, Heng Luo, Xin Yin, Yan Zhang and Zijian Li
Children 2024, 11(11), 1362; https://doi.org/10.3390/children11111362 - 9 Nov 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1271
Abstract
Background: Immersive virtual reality (IVR) serves as a promising tool to provide adolescents with enriched social experience due to its high-fidelity simulations and multimodal interaction. This study aims to design and develop a multi-user IVR collaborative game utilizing simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM)-based [...] Read more.
Background: Immersive virtual reality (IVR) serves as a promising tool to provide adolescents with enriched social experience due to its high-fidelity simulations and multimodal interaction. This study aims to design and develop a multi-user IVR collaborative game utilizing simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM)-based inside-out tracking technique to foster social experience among students. Also, this study explored the mechanism by which technology acceptance affected social experience in the IVR collaboration game, focusing on the mediating effects of presence, collective efficacy, and group effectiveness, as well as the moderating effect of social–emotional competence (SEC). Methods: A total of 104 seventh graders from a middle school in Central China participated in this study and completed the questionnaire. Finally, 87 valid questionnaire responses were retrieved. Results: The results revealed that technology acceptance both directly and indirectly influenced social experience. The mediation analysis revealed a key pathway influencing social experience: technology acceptance → presence → collective efficacy → group effectiveness → social experience. However, no moderating effect of SEC was found in the relationship between technology acceptance and social experience, group effectiveness, and social experience. Conclusions: Based on these results, more appropriate IVR interventions could be developed for social–emotional learning among children and adolescents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Promoting Social Emotional Competences and Mental Wellbeing Among Children and Adolescents Through Digital Technologies)
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17 pages, 3039 KiB  
Article
Findings from the Mighty Girls Efficacy Trial: Changes in Acceptance of Dating Violence
by Michael L. Hecht, Anne E. Norris, Daniel Max Crowley, Jeff R. Temple and Hye Jeong Choi
Children 2024, 11(11), 1331; https://doi.org/10.3390/children11111331 - 31 Oct 2024
Viewed by 952
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Test efficacy of the social emotional learning (SEL)-based Mighty Girls program, a program culturally tailored for English-speaking Hispanic/Latino girls in seventh grade comprised of classroom sessions and a virtual reality computer game. We hypothesized that the curriculum would decrease risky sexual behaviors [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Test efficacy of the social emotional learning (SEL)-based Mighty Girls program, a program culturally tailored for English-speaking Hispanic/Latino girls in seventh grade comprised of classroom sessions and a virtual reality computer game. We hypothesized that the curriculum would decrease risky sexual behaviors in a program that can be used as part of a comprehensive sex education curriculum or as a stand-alone program. Methods: A randomized group trial was conducted in which 22 low-income, predominately Hispanic schools within the Miami-Dade County Public School System were randomly assigned to intervention (consented n = 335) and control (consented n = 217) conditions. All study activities occurred after school. Primary outcome measures were resistance self-efficacy, acceptance of dating violence, sexual intentions, and sexual behavior. Assessments occurred at baseline, immediately post-intervention, 3-, 12-, and 24-months post-intervention. Changes in outcomes from baseline to 24 months were modeled using multi-level models to account for nesting of students within schools with full information maximum likelihood to account for missing data and baseline school attendance and enrollment in free and reduced lunch as covariates. Analyses are also controlled for multiple testing. Results: The program had a significant effect on reducing acceptance of dating violence at 24 months post-intervention (estimate = −0.083, p ≤ 0.05), but no effect on resistance self-efficacy, sexual intentions, or sexual behavior (p ≥ 0.58). Conclusion: Study findings demonstrate that a social emotional learning (SEL) curriculum can impact sexual behaviors such as susceptibility to dating violence. Low baseline levels for sexual intentions and behaviors as well as a high baseline of efficacy may have impacted findings for the other outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Promoting Social Emotional Competences and Mental Wellbeing Among Children and Adolescents Through Digital Technologies)
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18 pages, 3230 KiB  
Article
Autism Identification Based on the Intelligent Analysis of Facial Behaviors: An Approach Combining Coarse- and Fine-Grained Analysis
by Jingying Chen, Chang Chen, Ruyi Xu and Leyuan Liu
Children 2024, 11(11), 1306; https://doi.org/10.3390/children11111306 - 28 Oct 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1326
Abstract
Background: Facial behavior has emerged as a crucial biomarker for autism identification. However, heterogeneity among individuals with autism poses a significant obstacle to traditional feature extraction methods, which often lack the necessary discriminative power. While deep-learning methods hold promise, they are often criticized [...] Read more.
Background: Facial behavior has emerged as a crucial biomarker for autism identification. However, heterogeneity among individuals with autism poses a significant obstacle to traditional feature extraction methods, which often lack the necessary discriminative power. While deep-learning methods hold promise, they are often criticized for their lack of interpretability. Methods: To address these challenges, we developed an innovative facial behavior characterization model that integrates coarse- and fine-grained analyses for intelligent autism identification. The coarse-grained analysis provides a holistic view by computing statistical measures related to facial behavior characteristics. In contrast, the fine-grained component uncovers subtle temporal fluctuations by employing a long short-term memory (LSTM) model to capture the temporal dynamics of head pose, facial expression intensity, and expression types. To fully harness the strengths of both analyses, we implemented a feature-level attention mechanism. This not only enhances the model’s interpretability but also provides valuable insights by highlighting the most influential features through attention weights. Results: Upon evaluation using three-fold cross-validation on a self-constructed autism dataset, our integrated approach achieved an average recognition accuracy of 88.74%, surpassing the standalone coarse-grained analysis by 8.49%. Conclusions: This experimental result underscores the improved generalizability of facial behavior features and effectively mitigates the complexities stemming from the pronounced intragroup variability of those with autism, thereby contributing to more accurate and interpretable autism identification. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Promoting Social Emotional Competences and Mental Wellbeing Among Children and Adolescents Through Digital Technologies)
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