The FRIENDS programmes ‘Fun Friends’ and ‘Friends for Life’ are school-based positive health and wellness programmes focusing on anxiety prevention and resilience building. The programmes were developed by Dr. Paula Barrett in Australia. The World Health Organisation cites ‘Friends for Life’ as the only evidence-based programme for anxiety in children that is effective at all levels of intervention (WHO, 2004).
Through participating in Friends programmes, children develop friends, their emotional intelligence, and learn invaluable friend skills to enable them to cope with the many demands of 21st Century life. Friends for Life improves social skills, ability to focus, confidence, communication skills, and the ability to relax and regulate emotions. It is proven to reduce anxiety and give children the tools they need to cope in stressful and challenging situations. helps students to develop resilience by teaching them effective strategies with which they learn to cope, problem solve and manage all kinds of emotional distress, including worry, stress, change and anxiety. Skills learned throughout the programme help students both now and in later life. The programme can be run by teachers as a whole class programme, or as a small group intervention.
FRIENDS is an acronym for the skills taught throughout the programme:
- Feelings.
- Remember to Relax. Have quiet time.
- I can do it! I can try (Inner helpful thoughts)
- Explore Solutions and Coping Step Plans.
- Now reward yourself! You’ve done your best!
- Don’t forget to practice.
- Smile! Stay calm, Stay Strong and talk to your support networks!
More information on the programmes can be found by following the links:
Presentation on NEPS’ research on the implementation of Friends by Irish Primary teachers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHYNhUlyyPA o http://ncse.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/
NEPS-Presentation-on-FRIENDSfor-Life-for-NCSE-Conference.ppt
Irish Primary and Post Primary teachers/principals’ reflections of the Friends programmes. o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDj1ny98hp0
Further information on the programme can be found on the author’s website;
http://www.friendsresilience.org/
Many NEPS psychologists deliver training to teachers to deliver the programmes in schools.