Adolescence is a critical stage marked by heightened emotional reactivity and vulnerability to mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and stress. In Uruguay, a Latin American country, national surveys report a high prevalence of internalizing symptoms, especially among female students. Despite this need, evaluations of school-based mental health interventions remain scarce. This study evaluated the impact of the Ni Silencio Ni Tabú mental health workshops, a nationwide psychoeducational campaign led by the Uruguayan National Youth Institute that promotes open dialogue, destigmatization, and emotional skills development among adolescents, on emotional intelligence (EI) and indicators of depression, anxiety, and stress in adolescents aged 16–18. A quasi-experimental design was conducted with two groups: students exposed to the workshops (intervention group) and students not exposed (control group). Instruments included the Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version (EQ-i:YV) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale–21 (DASS-21). Assessments were conducted at baseline and post-intervention. Adolescents who participated in the workshops scored significantly higher in interpersonal and stress-management dimensions of EI and reported lower levels of stress and anxiety compared to the control group. No significant gender differences were observed. Findings demonstrate that school-based mental health workshops strengthen EI and reduce psychological distress among adolescents. These results underscore the importance of preventive and scalable interventions within national educational systems.

Authors:
Leonel Pinazzo, University of the Republic, Uruguay
Gabriela Fernandez Theoduloz, University of the Republic, Uruguay

About the Presenter(s)
Leonel Pinazzo Pérez is a Psychologist and Master’s student in Clinical Psychology at Universidad de la República, Uruguay. His interests include adolescent mental health, emotional intelligence, and school-based interventions.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Wednesday Schedule

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