(PS12-94) Icts in Psychotherapies: Differences in Emotional Regulation Between Boys and Girls

Introduction: In the usual clinical work, a need for online resources in psychological care for minors has been detected, due to the high social demand that already exists, and that responds to the shortage of specialized services. For this purpose, the program for the Improvement of Emotional Self-Regulation for Minors, Online (MAM@) has been developed, based on emotional recognition and expression through different modules such as introduction to emotions, happiness, sadness, fear, anger, guilt, affection and empathy. This program is aimed at children between 12 and 15 years of age who are at psychosocial risk and present various emotional and/or behavioral psychological alterations related to stressful situations (abuse, exposure to traumatic events, psychopathological consequences of confinement, family conflicts and other adverse experiences).

Aim: To assess the efficacy of the MAM@ program in terms of emotional regulation.

Method: The intervention program was applied to a total of n = 32 children (n = 17 girls) with a mean age of 13.03 years (SD = 1.30). Of the participants in the study, n = 11 were children exposed to child abuse under the care of the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia, Spain, n = 11 were exposed to intimate partner violence against their mothers, and n = 10 were children attending the hospital interconsultation service of the Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital. Emotional regulation was measured with the Difficulties in Emotional Regulation Scale (DERS; Gratz and Roemer, 2004). The MAM@ program was applied online for five weeks by the children, while they continued with their regular psychological treatment.

Results: Intragroup analyses showed significant reductions in lack of emotional awareness and lack of emotional clarity for the total group, and for the boys' group significant reductions were found in difficulties engaging in goal-directed behavior when upset. Intergroup analyses showed differences between boys and girls on the scales limited access to perceived effective emotional regulation strategies and difficulties engaging in goal-directed behavior when upset.

Conclusions: The MAM@ intervention is able to improve emotional regulation in children exposed to psychosocial risk situationsand in total emotional regulation. In addition, boys obtain greater benefits after the application of the program than girls.