A Dress Rehearsal for Assessment of Potency of Primordial Prevention for Reduction of Pandemic Stress Among Preadolescents

Background Stress can have a significant impact on the mental health of both adults and children. Adolescents, in particular, are a vulnerable group, and the stress brought on by the pandemic may impact their prospects. This study serves as a preliminary assessment of the effectiveness of primordial prevention in mitigating pandemic-related stress among preadolescents. Aim and objective To perform a dress rehearsal to assess the effectiveness of primary prevention strategies in mitigating pandemic-related stress among preadolescents, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) in its English version was employed to measure the magnitude of stress experienced by the participants. Material and methods The study comprised a total of 100 preadolescent students who attended school in two distinct sections of Maharashtra, India. Each group consisted of 50 students initially, but after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the number of students in each group was reduced to 35. The preadolescents in the experimental group underwent a pre-test using the PSS. Following this, they received training in a specific intervention that focused on five exercises related to positive psychology, namely, values and beliefs, self-compassion, knowing one's character strengths, and expressing gratitude. On the other hand, the control group did not receive any intervention. A post-test was conducted using the PSS checklist, and the scores were evaluated on the seventh day following the intervention. Results The preadolescents attending school had an average age of 12.5 years and were enrolled in the 7th and 8th grades. In the experimental group, most students identified as Hindus (30 individuals, accounting for 85.7% of the group), while a smaller portion identified as Buddhists (five individuals, making up 14.3%). In the control group, 25 students (71.4%) identified as Hindus, nine (25.7%) identified as Buddhists, and only one (2.9%) identified as Muslim. During the pre-test, 30 students (85.7%) from the experimental group and 28 (80%) from the control group exhibited moderate stress levels. Following the intervention, there was a significant improvement in the PSS scores from the pre-test to the seventh day. Specifically, in the experimental group, only eight individuals (22.9%) reported experiencing moderate stress; in the control group, the number was 28 (80%). The X2 value was calculated to be 22.88, with a level of significance set at p=0.0001. Conclusion Our dress rehearsal demonstrated the effectiveness of primordial prevention in mitigating pandemic-induced stress among preadolescent students attending schools in Maharashtra. The intervention employed five exercises rooted in positive psychology: emphasizing values and beliefs, cultivating self-compassion, fostering self-awareness of character strengths, and practicing gratitude. These interventions offer promising avenues for addressing stress among preadolescents in an educational setting. However, further research with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods is necessary to validate the effectiveness of these primordial preventive measures.