Preadolescents' Insights Following an Intervention That Decreased Chronic Stress and Improved Social Relationships.

[BACKGROUND] Experiencing chronic stress during childhood can undermine both psychophysical health and the ability to develop and nurture supportive social relationships. This study explored the impact of an enactive-playful intervention on stress regulation and social integration among school-aged children.

[METHODS] Forty-one preadolescents (ages 10-11 years) from a public school in Bariloche, Argentina, were assigned to either an intervention group (IG; n = 23) or a waitlist group (WG; n = 18). The IG participated in weekly 1-h sessions over 6 months, incorporating interoceptive and mind-body awareness practices, collaborative games and reflective instances. Outcomes were assessed using hair cortisol concentration (HCC), sociometric measures of peer preference and semi-structured interviews.

[RESULTS] Post-intervention results showed a significant decrease in HCC in the IG (p = 0.01), with no significant change in the WG. Social preference improved significantly in the IG (p = 0.02), while it declined in the WG (p = 0.00). Thematic analysis of interviews with children revealed four key themes: enhanced well-being, emotional awareness and self-regulation, increased engagement and agency and improved social relationships. Many participants reported using the practices outside school and sharing them with family members. Teacher feedback further confirmed positive changes, including students' autonomous use of the practices and greater emotional support within the classroom.

[CONCLUSIONS] These findings highlight the potential of embodied, enactive interventions to reduce stress and strengthen peer relationships in school settings. To our knowledge, this is the first study to analyse this kind of intervention in this age group using a mixed-methods approach, which integrates physiological, behavioural and experiential data.