Increasing the Effectiveness of a Social Emotional Learning Program Through Cultural Adaptation for African American Students’ Internalizing Symptoms

Cultural adaptation is a mechanism used to increase the congruency of evidence-based interventions when delivered to a specific ethnic-cultural group. While initially conceptualized in response to the lack of support of evidence-based treatments with ethnic minorities, research identifying unique risk and protective factors for minority groups, as well as poor participant engagement and a lower utilization of mental health services as compared to Caucasian youth, provide additional support for the cultural adaptation of interventions. This study compared the results of a school-based social emotional curriculum culturally adapted for African American youth to a non-adapted intervention. The study analyzed participants’ overall internalizing symptoms, social-emotional knowledge, engagement, and social acceptability of the intervention