Project InSel
Recognising internalising symptoms and responding professionally
The InSel project is investigating how well teachers can recognise internalising symptoms in their students. In addition, a psychoeducational intervention for teachers regarding internalising behavioural problems in students is being developed and tested.
Unlike externalising symptoms (e.g. aggressive behaviour), internalising symptoms (e.g. sadness and anxiety) are often not perceived as disturbing by people in the immediate environment. As a result, there is a risk that they may go unrecognised. As a result, support services for affected children may not be effective. In addition to parents, teachers can play an important role in identifying internalising symptoms. They observe children in a context characterised by pressure to perform and social interactions, where symptoms may be more likely to manifest.
The project focuses on this particular role of teachers in identifying internalising symptoms. It consists of three parts
- the cross-sectional investigation of the incremental validity of teacher ratings (i.e. their added value compared to self-reports) of internalising symptoms in fifth and sixth graders
- Cross-sectional research on the influence of child-related, teacher-related and school (class) related factors on the quality of teachers’ ratings.
- The development and piloting of a psycho-educational intervention for teachers to provide information about internalising behavioural problems in pupils and how to overcome them.
The aim of the InSel project is to investigate how well teachers recognise internalising symptoms in their students and to identify possible moderating influences. Based on teachers’ prior knowledge of internalising symptoms and the identified moderators, a concept for an intervention programme for teachers will be developed and tested in a pilot study.