Socioemotional benefits of a transdiagnostic universal program for children: Evidence from Super Skills for Life

This study examined the efficacy of the Spanish adaptation of the transdiagnostic program Super Skills for Life (SSL) as a universal preventive format implemented in school settings. The aim was to analyze its effects on socioemotional self-concept and social skills in a sample of 1,129 Spanish-speaking children aged 8 to 12 years. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with two conditions: intervention and waitlist control. Participants completed validated measures of self-concept (social and emotional dimensions) and social skills at pretest and posttest. Analyses using generalized estimating equations (GEE) indicated significant improvements for the experimental group compared to the control group in emotional self-concept (p < .001, d = 0.27) and social self-concept (p = .003, d = 0.09), whereas no significant effects were observed for social skills (p = .91). These findings suggest that SSL enhances children’s socioemotional self-perceptions, which serve as a protective factor against emotional problems, even if observable changes in social behavior may require more time to emerge. Implications for the universal implementation of school-based prevention programs are discussed, along with limitations related to the lack of follow-up assessments, the exclusive reliance on self-reports, and the potential ceiling effect in social competence. Overall, the study provides evidence for the efficacy of SSL as a universal preventive strategy to promote socioemotional competencies in childhood