PS Smile

The complex conditions that characterize our age require adults to constantly care and make preventive efforts to maintain and increase well-being and be prepared to new and unexpected challenges.
Social and emotional skills and knowledge is increasingly shown as effective in promoting the ability
to recognize one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values and their influence on behavior;
to regulate our emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in different situations;
to empathize appreciating diversity, recognizing community resources and supports;
managing the relationship with other people and developing reciprocity.
The PS Smiles app with the activities proposed can support us in
• cultivating these competences for our personal growth and flourishing
• supporting the development of these competences in children we live with and help them address current requests from the context but also prepare themselves as future adults
• taking personal and collective responsibility as adults who play diverse roles such as parents, adult family members and/or supportive members of our communities.

The application is not a replacement for professional medical services. Seek a doctor's advice when making a medical decision.

The application's methodology is based on these references:

Dusenbury, L., Calin, S., Domitrovich, C., & Weissberg, R. P. (2015). What Does Evidence-Based Instruction in Social and Emotional Learning Actually Look Like in Practice? A Brief on Findings from CASEL's Program Reviews. Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning.

Elias, M. J., Leverett, L., Duffell, J. C., Humphrey, N., Stepney, C., & Ferrito, J. (2015). Integrating SEL with related prevention and youth development approaches.

Elliott, S. N., Anthony, C. J., Lei, P. W., & DiPerna, J. C. (2021). Parents' assessment of students' social emotional learning competencies: The SSIS SEL brief scales‐parent version. Family Relations.

Jennings, P. A., Doyle, S., Oh, Y., Rasheed, D., Frank, J. L., & Brown, J. L. (2019). Long-term impacts of the CARE program on teachers' self-reported social and emotional competence and well-being. Journal of school psychology, 76, 186-202.

Lerner, R. M., Lerner, J. V., Lewin-Bizan, S., Bowers, E. P., Boyd, M. J., Mueller, M. K., & Napolitano, C. M. (2011). Positive youth development: Processes, programs, and problematics. Journal of Youth Development, 6(3), 38-62.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2015). Skills for social progress: The power of social and emotional skills. OECD Publishing.

Sheridan, S. M., Smith, T. E., Moorman Kim, E., Beretvas, S. N., & Park, S. (2019). A meta-analysis of family-school interventions and children’s social-emotional functioning: Moderators and components of efficacy. Review of Educational Research, 89(2), 296-332.

Sheridan, S. M., Witte, A. L., Holmes, S. R., Wu, C., Bhatia, S. A., & Angell, S. R. (2017). The efficacy of conjoint behavioural consultation in the home setting: Outcomes and mechanisms in rural communities. Journal of school psychology, 62, 81-101.

Weissberg, R.P., O’Brien, M.U.: What works in school-based social and emotional learning programs for positive youth development. (2004) The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 591(1), 86–97.

Zins, J. E., Elias, M. J., & Greenberg, M. T. (2007). School practices to build social-emotional competence as the foundation of academic and life success. Educating people to be emotionally intelligent, 79-94.