Professor of Developmental Psychopathology
University of Roehampton, London, UK
https://pure.roehampton.ac.uk/portal/en/persons/cecilia-essau
Super Skills for Life
Super Skills for Life (SSL) is an intervention programme which helps young people cope with emotional difficulties such as anxiety and depression. It is based on the principles of cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT) and behavioural activation and uses video-feedback and cognitive preparation as part of the treatment.
SSL provides young people with skills to:
• Enhance self-confidence, build emotional resilience, and improve social skills and competence.
• Cope with stressful situations, including life changes such as the transition from primary to secondary school.
• SSL also promotes healthy lifestyles through healthy eating, physical exercise, and sleep hygiene.
SSL is available to children and young people at four developmentally significant stages:
• Pre-school (SSL-Ps): Children aged 3 – 5 years old.
• Primary school (SSL-C): Children aged 6 – 11 years old.
• Secondary school (SSL-A): Adolescents aged 12 – 17 years old.
• University (SSL-YP): University students/young adults (18-25 years old).
SSL has 8 sessions which are typically delivered once or twice a week to a group of 6–8 young people, or to an individual child/adolescent. The sessions are structured with role play, homework, group and individual activities, video-analysis and feedback.
The SSL-Ps uses play-based activities and songs in promoting self-confidence and social skills in preschoolers.
It can be delivered by teachers and other non-mental health professionals after a short training.
By using the “train-the-trainer approach”, SSL training has built the capacity and shaped the practice of 25,500 practitioners in 23 countries. Delivery of SSL has produced positive mental health outcomes in approximately 1 million young people.
Super Skills for Exams (SSE)
In 2022, we were commissioned by Ugur College in Turkey to co-adapt SSL to provide skills that could help their students (in grades 7, 8, 10, and 11) cope with exam stress in all its 245 secondary schools (benefitting approximately 45,000 students). A total of 270 school counsellors in Ugur College were trained in SSE in September 2022, and who since then have been implementing SSE in their respective schools.
Meet the Authors
Prof Cecilia A Essau
Cecilia is Professor of Developmental Psychopathology and Director of Centre for Applied Research and Assessment in Child and Adolescent Wellbeing at the University of Roehampton, UK.
She is the author of 313 articles, and is the author/editor of 23 books in the area of youth mental health.
Prof Thomas H Ollendick
Tom is University Distinguished Professor in Clinical Psychology and Director of the Child Study Center at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA.
He is the author or co-author of 350 research publications, 75 book chapters, and 35 books.
Publications: Super Skills for Life programme
Diego, S., Morales, A., & Orgilés, M. (2024). Benefits of Super Skills for Life in a randomized controlled trial in clinical settings for Spanish children with comorbid conditions. Development and Psychopathology, 36(4): 1821-1830. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579423001189
Galán-Luque, T., Cabello, E., & Orgilés, M. (2024). Comparative randomized trial addressing childhood emotional problems: Computerized vs. traditional transdiagnostic Super Skills program. Journal of Affective Disorders, 365, 95-104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2024.08.081.
Diego, S., Morales, A., & Orgilés, M. (2024). Treating Emotional Disorders in Spanish Children: A Controlled Randomized Trial in a Clinical Setting. Behavior Therapy, 55 (2), 292-305. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2023.07.003.
Uzun, B., Orman, A. & Essau, C. A. (2024). Integrating “Super Skills for Exams” Programme in the School Curriculum to Support Adolescents Preparing for Their National Examinations in Turkey. Children. 11 (2), 180. https://doi.org/10.3390/children11020180
Chen, Y. Y., Ting, C. H., Ghazali, S. R., & Ling, A. A. (2024). Enhancing children's well‐being using Malaysian‐adapted version Super Skills for life (M‐SSL) among primary school children in Malaysia. Psychology in the Schools, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.2325816
Orgilés, M., Espada, J.P., & Morales, A. (2024). Prevention of Emotional Problems in Spanish Schoolchildren: Effectiveness of the Super Skills Multimedia Program to Promote Social-Emotional Skills. The Spanish Journal of Psychology. 27: e21. doi:10.1017/SJP.2024.27
Orgilés, M., Morales, A., Fernández-Martínez, I., Méndez, X., & Espada, J.P. (2023). Effectiveness of a transdiagnostic computerized self-applied program targeting children with emotional problems: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Affective Disorders, 338, 155-162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2023.06.004.
Fernandes, B., Wright, M., & Essau, C.A. (2023). The Role of Emotion Regulation and Executive Functioning in the Intervention Outcome of Children with Emotional and Behavioural Problems. Children (MDPI), 10, 139. https://doi.org/10.3390/children10010139
Yoga Ratnam, K.K., Nik Farid, N.D., Yakub, N.A., & Dahlui, M. (2022). The Effectiveness of the Super Skills for Life (SSL) Programme in Promoting Mental Wellbeing among Institutionalised Adolescents in Malaysia: An Interventional Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 19(15): 9324. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19159324.
Karishma Ramdhonee-Dowlot, K., Balloo, K., & Essau, C.A. (2021). Effectiveness of the Super Skills for Life programme in enhancing children’s emotional wellbeing in residential care institutions in low- and middle-income country: A randomised waitlist-controlled trial. Journal of Affective Disorders, 278, 327-338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.09.053
Melero, S., Morales, M., Espada, J.P., & Orgilés, M. (2021). Improving Social Performance Through Video-feedback with Cognitive Preparation in Children with Emotional Problems. Behavior Modification, 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145445521991098
Allan, S., Uzun, B., & Essau, C.A. (2021). Impact of a transdiagnostic prevention protocol for targeting adolescent anxiety and depression. Psychologica, 63, 53-68. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14195/1647-8606_63-2_3.
Zakaria, S., Sasagawa, S., & Essau, C.A. (2021). Exploring the impact of a Transdiagnostic Cognitive Behavioural Therapy-based Intervention on a group of Malaysian Adolescents with Problematic Drug Use and Emotional Problems. Addictive Behaviors Reports, Volume 14, December 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abrep.2021.100381
Melero, S., Orgilés, M., Espada, J. P. y Morales, A. (2021). Spanish version of Super Skills for Life in individual modality: Improvement of children’s emotional well-being from a transdiagnostic approach. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 1–16. doi: 10.1002/jclp.23148
Melero, S., Morales, A., Espada, J. P., Méndez, X. y Orgilés, M. (2021). Effectiveness of Group vs. Individual Therapy to Decrease Peer Problems and Increase Prosociality in Children. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18, 3950. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18083950
Melero, S., Orgilés, M., Fernández-Martínez, I., Espada, J. P., & Morales, A. (2021). Influence of implementation fidelity on the effectiveness of a CBT programme targeted emotional problems in childhood. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 68, 100975. doi: 10.1016/j.stueduc.2021.100975
de la Torre-Luque, A., Fiol-Veny, A., Essau, C.A., Maria Balle, M., & Bornas, X. (2020). Effects of a transdiagnostic cognitive behaviour therapy-based programme on the natural course of anxiety symptoms in adolescence. Journal of Affective Disorders, 264, 474-482. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2019.11.078
Orgilés, M., Espada, J.P., & Morales, A. (2020). How Super Skills for Life may help children to cope with the COVID-19: Psychological impact and coping styles after the program. Revista de Psicología Clínica con Niños y Adolescentes, 7, 88-93.
Fernández-Martínez, I., Espada, J. P. y Orgilés, M. (2020) Super Skills for Life: Eficacia de un programa transdiagnóstico de prevención indicada para los problemas emocionales infantiles. Revista de Psicología Clínica con Niños y Adolescentes, 6, 24-31
Fernández, I., Morales, A., Espada, J.P. y Orgilés, M. (2020). Effects of Super Skills for Life on the social skills of anxious children through video analysis. Psicothema, 32(2), 229-236
Orgilés, M., Garrigós, E., Espada, J.P., & Morales, A. (2020). How does a CBT-based transdiagnostic program for separation anxiety symptoms work in children?: Effects of Super Skills for Life. Revista de Psicología Clínica con Niños y Adolescentes, 7 (2), 9-15. doi: 10.21134/rpcna.2020.07.2.1
Orgilés, M., Melero, S., Fernández-Martínez, I., Espada, J. P., y Morales, A. (2020). Effectiveness of video-feedback with cognitive preparation in improving social performance and anxiety through Super Skills for Life programme implemented in a school setting. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18; 17(8):2805
Fernández-Martínez, I., Orgilés, M., Morales, A. Espada, J. P., & Essau, C. (2019). One-year follow-up effects of a cognitive behavior therapy-based transdiagnostic program for emotional problems in young children: a school-based cluster-randomized controlled trial. Journal of Affective Disorders, 262, 258-266.
Fernández-Martínez, I., Morales, A., Espada, J. P., Essau, C. A., y Orgilés, M. (2019). Effectiveness of the program Super Skills for Life in reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression in young Spanish children. Psicothema, 31(3), 298-304.
Orgilés, M., Fernández-Martínez, I., Espada, J. P. y Morales, A. (2019). Spanish version of Super Skills For Life: short and long-term impact of a transdiagnostic prevention protocol targeting childhood anxiety and depression. Anxiety, Stress & Coping, 32, 649-710.
Essau, C.A., Sasagawa, S., Jones, G., Fernandes, B., & Ollendick, T.H. (2019). Evaluating the real-world effectiveness of a Cognitive Behavior Therapy-based transdiagnostic programme for emotional problems in children in a regular school setting. Journal of Affective Disorders, 253, 357-365.
Ramdhonee-Dowlot, K.S. & Essau, C.A. (2018). Super Skills for Life: Trans-Diagnostic Prevention Programme for Emotional Problems in Children. In Sapra, R. (ed.), Reflections: Skills for Social and Emotional Well Being (41 – 59). New Delhi, India: Authorspress.
Essau, C.A., Olaya, B., Sasagawa, S., Pithia, J., Bray, D., & Ollendick, T.H. (2014). Integrating video-feedback and cognitive preparation, social skills training and behavioural activation in a cognitive behavioural therapy in the treatment of childhood anxiety. Journal of Affective Disorders, 167, 261–267. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2014.05.056
Videos on SSL
SSL: Overview Testimony: Teachers and parent
SSL workshop in Kuala Lumpur (July 2019) for the Ministry of Youth and Sport
SSL workshop in Kota Kinabalu (June 2019) for the Ministry of Youth and Sport
SSL workshop in Mauritius (May 2019) for various government departments
SSL workshop in Penang (February 2019) for the Ministry of Education
Super Skills for Exams workshop in Istanbul (September 2022)
Launching the SSL-Ps at the Universiti Malaysia Sabah (January 2025)
SSL in TV: Malaysia, Romania, Mauritius
Super Skills for Life - Delivery Partner Network
UK
Caritas Salford
Ms Georgina Jones
Caritas Schools’ Service, Salford
E: G.Jones@caritassalford.org.uk
*SSL-C*
UK
Father Hudson’s Care
Ms Rita Nag
Family Support Project, Birmingham
E: ritanag@fatherhudsons.org.uk
*SSL-C*
MALAYSIA
Sarawak
Dr Bernard Ting Chuong Hock
Dr Chen Yoke Yong
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kuching
E: chting@unimas.my; yongcyy@gmail.com
*SSL-C and SSL-A*
MALAYSIA
Sabah
Dr Suwaibah Zakaria
Universiti Malaysia Sabah
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
E: suwaibah@ums.edu.my
*SSL-C, SSL-A, and SSL-Ps*
MALAYSIA
Penang
Ms Priscilla Ho
Creativity At Heart, Penang
E: prishoh@gmail.com
*SSL-C and SSL-A*
ROMANIA
Dr Alina Dafinoiu
Psihomentor, Iași, Romania
E: catherina5us@yahoo.com
*SSL-C and SSL-A*
MAURITIUS
Dr Karishma Ramdhonee-Dowlot
Clinical Psychology, Mauritius
E: karishma.dowlot@gmail.com
*SSL-C*
TURKEY
Prof Neslihan Karaman
Ankara University
Ankara, Turkey
E: nkaraman@ankara.edu.tr
*SSL-C*
NIGERIA
Dr Rosemary Ekechukwu
University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State
E: mamatriplets01@yahoo.com
*SSL-C and SSL-A*
MEXICO
Ashley Yoav Saldaña Gutierrez
Professor Alma Vallejo
Universidad Veracruzana, Veracruz
*SSL-C*
INDIA
Bharati College, University of Delhi
*SSL-C*
PAKISTAN
Dr Aneela Maqsood
Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi
E: dr_aneelamaqsood@fjwu.edu.pk
*SSL-C*
THAILAND
Prof Joe Nuttorn
Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok
E: drnuttorn@yahoo.com
*SSL-C and SSL-A*
CHINA
Dr Mei-Rong Pan
Peking University Sixth Hospital, Beijing
E: panmeirong@bjmu.edu.cn
*SSL-C and SSL-A*
GERMANY
Prof Gunter Groen
Hamburg University of Applied Sciences
Hamburg
E: Gunter.Groen@haw-hamburg.de
*SSL-C*
GERMANY
Dr Peter Mroczek
Praxis für Kinder- und Jugendlichenpsychotherapie, Winsen (Luhe)
E: praxis@kjp-mroczek.de
*SSL-C*
PORTUGAL
Dr Tatiana C. Homem
Associação Pais Como Nós & University of Coimbra, Portugal
E: homem.tatiana@gmail.com
*SSL-C*
UKRAINE
Kateryna Boiarshynova
President of the Independent Association of Psychologists, Kiev
E: presidentiapposhta@gmail.com
ITALY
Associate Prof Elisa Delvecchio
University of Perugia
E: elisa.delvecchio@unipg.it
*SSL-C and SSL-A*
POLAND
Dr hab. Anna Bokszczanin
Uniwersytet Opolski, Opole
E: abok@uni.opole.pl
*SSL-C and SSL-A*
NORTHERN CYPRUS
Dr Fatos Ozeylem
Eastern Mediterranean University
North Cyprus
E: fatos.ozeylem@emu.edu.tr
*SSL-YP*
CYPRUS & GREECE
Associate Prof Xenia Anastassiou-Hadjicharalambous
University of Nicosia, Cyprus
E: hadjicharalambous.x@unic.ac.cy
*SSL-C*