The Friends for Life program is an evidence-based practice being used in schools to assist children to learn skills to manage anxiety. The Friends for Life program has been used by school districts in British Columbia, Canada, for over 10 years, yet there is little research on how the program is being implemented in schools by teachers. This qualitative case study investigated the implementation practice of the Friends for Life program by teachers in Grades 4 and 5. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 teachers from a smaller school district in British Columbia, Canada. The results yielded themes, which described critical factors that helped or hindered teachers in implementing the program with fidelity. A key finding of the study demonstrated teachers were running the program weekly, as per program guidelines. A key factor that was identified as helping teachers to implement the program with fidelity was support of school counselors, district staff, and the building administrator. The implications for social change include providing school administrators with information, which can help them to support teachers to implement the Friends for Life program with fidelity. As a result of these findings the Friends for Life program may consider updating the training materials and program implementation protocols in order to ensure teachers are implementing the program with fidelity and therefore, children are learning the skills they need to manage their anxieties and worries.

The studies presented in this thesis sought to investigate a number of developmental factors that influence the efficacy of preventive intervention for child anxiety disorders. Preventive intervention has emerged as a vital step forward in clinical research following data indicating anxiety disorders are among the most common forms of psychopathology in youngsters (Kashani & Orvaschel, 1990; Mattison, 1992). Several risk and protective factors associated with childhood anxiety disorders have been identified, along with effective treatment protocols (Kendall, 1994; Howard & Kendall, 1996; Barrett, 1998, 1999; Silverman et al., 1999a, 1999b), as prerequisites to the development of preventive programs for child anxiety problems (Spence, 2001). The first objective of this research was to add to the literature on risk and protective factors by investigating the role of peer interaction in the development of child anxiety problems. Study one examined developmental differences in the influence of peer interaction on children's anxiety-related cognition and behaviour. One hundred and sixty two children enrolled in grade 6 (n = 96) aged between 9 and 10 years, and grade 9 (n = 66) aged between 14 and 16 years participated in the study. Participants were stratified into either an at risk group or to a healthy group, based on their anxiety scores on the Spence Child Anxiety Scale (SCAS; Spence, 1997), and further allocated to a peer group comprising of 3 'healthy' (non-anxious) and 3 'at risk' (high anxious) children. Prior to and following a peer discussion, participants completed a standardised self-report measure of threat interpretation and response plans to two ambiguous vignettes (Barrett, Rapee, Dadds, & Ryan, 1996; Dadds, Barrett, Rapee, & Ryan, 1996). Results showed all participants evidenced changes in threat interpretation and response plans following the discussion with peers (p < .001). Overall, findings highlight the potential importance of peer interaction in the development of anxiety-related cognition and behaviour. The findings of study one have important implications for the future development of school-based intervention programs; specifically those conducted in the classroom. Study two sought to advance the current research on preventive intervention for child anxiety by establishing the age at which youngsters benefit the most from the FRIENDS program as a classroom-based universal intervention. Study two presents the results of a longitudinal study evaluating the effects of a universal school-based intervention for child anxiety at two developmental stages. The study involved a cohort of 733 children enrolled in grade 6 (n = 336, 45.6%) aged between 9 and 10 years, and grade 9 (n = 401, 54.4%) aged between 14 and 16 years, Participants were allocated to either a school-based cognitive behavioural intervention or to a monitoring group. Participants completed standardised measures of anxiety, depression and coping style. Participants identified as 'at risk' of an anxiety disorder were assessed for a clinical diagnosis with a structured diagnostic interview. Results indicated the universal intervention effective in significantly reducing anxiety (p < .001), depression (p < .001) and behaviour avoidance in children at post- intervention and 12-month follow-up intervals. Grade 6 children reported significantly higher anxiety at pre-intervention and greater reductions in anxiety at post intervention compared with the grade 9 (p < .001), although both primary and secondary school participants showed equal reductions in anxiety at 12-month follow up. Overall, findings suggest universal intervention potentially successful in reducing symptoms of anxiety and increasing coping skills in children. Primary school children reported the greatest changes in anxiety symptoms, suggesting earlier preventive intervention potentially more advantageous than later intervention. Developmental differences in anxiety, depression and coping strategies are discussed in addition to the implications and limitations of this study and directions for future research.

Le programme d’enseignement des habiletés d’adaptation Les amis de Zippy vise la promotion de la santé mentale des élèves du premier cycle du primaire. La présente étude est une analyse secondaire réalisée à partir des données d’évaluation des effets du programme. L’objectif général vérifie si l’appartenance au groupe d’intervention est associée à une meilleure qualité du climat relationnel de classe à la fin de l’année scolaire, tel que perçu par les enseignants, tout en contrôlant pour la qualité du climat avant la réalisation du programme. La qualité du climat correspond aux relations entre les élèves et aux relations entre les élèves et l’enseignant. L’effet modérateur de la gestion de comportements et les pratiques pédagogiques est aussi analysé. L’échantillon est constitué de 35 enseignants auto-sélectionnés, répartis entre deux groupes non aléatoires. Les échelles suivantes du QES pour le primaire, version enseignant, sont utilisées : relations entre les élèves, relations entre les élèves et les enseignants, gestion des comportements et pratiques pédagogiques. Les résultats, obtenus grâce à des régressions linéaires multiples, montrent que généralement, l’appartenance au groupe n’explique pas significativement la qualité du climat de classe. Cependant, un effet d’interaction entre le climat de classe et la gestion de comportements est identifié. Lorsque les enseignants gèrent plus difficilement leur classe, le programme Les amis de Zippy est associé à un climat relationnel entre les élèves et l’enseignant moins favorable que dans le groupe témoin. Puisque ces résultats préliminaires peuvent être attribuables à des variables externes non contrôlées, ils devront être approfondis par des études subséquentes. / Les amis de Zippy teaching program for coping skills aims to promote mental health in junior elementary students. This study is a secondary analysis done with data derived from the program evaluation. The general goal is to verify if belongingness to the intervention group is linked to a better class relational climate at the end of the school year, as perceived by the teachers, while controlling for the class relational climate before the implantation of the program. The class relational climate refers to the relationships between the students and the relationship between the students and the teacher. The moderating effects of behaviors management and educational practices are analyzed as well. The sample is composed of 35 self-selected teachers no randomly separated into two groups. The following scales from the elementary school QES, teacher’s version, were used: relationships between the students, relationship between the students and the teacher, behaviors management and educational practices. Multiple linear regressions revealed that, generally, group belongingness does not significantly explain the quality of the class relational climate. However, an interaction effect with behaviors management is identified. When teachers have a hard time managing their class, the Les amis de Zippy program is associated with a less favorable relational climate between the students and the teacher then in the comparison group. However, these preliminary results need to be studied more thoroughly because they may be due to uncontrolled external variables.

Le programme d’enseignement des habiletés d’adaptation Les amis de Zippy vise la promotion de la santé mentale des élèves du premier cycle du primaire. La présente étude est une analyse secondaire réalisée à partir des données d’évaluation des effets du programme. L’objectif général vérifie si l’appartenance au groupe d’intervention est associée à une meilleure qualité du climat relationnel de classe à la fin de l’année scolaire, tel que perçu par les enseignants, tout en contrôlant pour la qualité du climat avant la réalisation du programme. La qualité du climat correspond aux relations entre les élèves et aux relations entre les élèves et l’enseignant. L’effet modérateur de la gestion de comportements et les pratiques pédagogiques est aussi analysé. L’échantillon est constitué de 35 enseignants auto-sélectionnés, répartis entre deux groupes non aléatoires. Les échelles suivantes du QES pour le primaire, version enseignant, sont utilisées : relations entre les élèves, relations entre les élèves et les enseignants, gestion des comportements et pratiques pédagogiques. Les résultats, obtenus grâce à des régressions linéaires multiples, montrent que généralement, l’appartenance au groupe n’explique pas significativement la qualité du climat de classe. Cependant, un effet d’interaction entre le climat de classe et la gestion de comportements est identifié. Lorsque les enseignants gèrent plus difficilement leur classe, le programme Les amis de Zippy est associé à un climat relationnel entre les élèves et l’enseignant moins favorable que dans le groupe témoin. Puisque ces résultats préliminaires peuvent être attribuables à des variables externes non contrôlées, ils devront être approfondis par des études subséquentes. / Les amis de Zippy teaching program for coping skills aims to promote mental health in junior elementary students. This study is a secondary analysis done with data derived from the program evaluation. The general goal is to verify if belongingness to the intervention group is linked to a better class relational climate at the end of the school year, as perceived by the teachers, while controlling for the class relational climate before the implantation of the program. The class relational climate refers to the relationships between the students and the relationship between the students and the teacher. The moderating effects of behaviors management and educational practices are analyzed as well. The sample is composed of 35 self-selected teachers no randomly separated into two groups. The following scales from the elementary school QES, teacher’s version, were used: relationships between the students, relationship between the students and the teacher, behaviors management and educational practices. Multiple linear regressions revealed that, generally, group belongingness does not significantly explain the quality of the class relational climate. However, an interaction effect with behaviors management is identified. When teachers have a hard time managing their class, the Les amis de Zippy program is associated with a less favorable relational climate between the students and the teacher then in the comparison group. However, these preliminary results need to be studied more thoroughly because they may be due to uncontrolled external variables.