Adverse childhood experiences are highly prevalent in low-and middle-income countries, including Lebanon, and are associated with poorer developmental outcomes, highlighting the need for accessible, culturally responsive school-based mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS). This study evaluated the effectiveness of Somoud, a teacher-delivered psychoeducational intervention developed for Lebanese children (9-12 years), in improving psychological wellbeing, coping strategies, and resilience in a Beirut-based school. Designed for delivery by classroom teachers following brief training to enhance scalability in resource-limited settings, the intervention was grounded in children's lived experiences. The moderating role of perceived social support was examined, and teacher perspectives on implementation were explored.
A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test control-group design was employed with 116 students. Five psychosocial measures assessing adversity exposure, wellbeing, coping, resilience, and perceived social support were adapted for Lebanese children in accordance with International Test Commission guidelines, ensuring linguistic accuracy, conceptual equivalence, and cultural relevance. One teacher was trained to deliver the intervention and participated in a semi-structured interview.
Quantitative analyses indicated no statistically significant intervention effects on wellbeing, coping, or resilience after controlling for adversity levels, and perceived social support did not moderate outcomes. Baseline scores on wellbeing and coping were unexpectedly elevated despite high reported adversity, limiting sensitivity to detect change. Observational data and student narratives indicated that measurable change may have occurred in domains not fully reflected by scale scores, emphasizing the importance of context-sensitive assessments in non-Western settings.
Qualitative findings highlighted strengths of the intervention, including skills-based activities, contextual relevance, and student engagement. Implementation challenges included limited instructional time and large class sizes, yet the teacher reported professional growth and perceived student benefits.
Although statistically significant effects were not observed, findings offer applied insights into culturally grounded intervention refinement and contribute to emerging directions in cross-cultural psychological assessment and school-based mental health research in high-adversity contexts.