Banca de DEFESA: FRANCILENE ROSA TORRACA

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : FRANCILENE ROSA TORRACA
DATE: 03/05/2024
TIME: 10:00
LOCAL: IE
TITLE:

DEVELOPMENT OF A PSYCHOEDUCATION PROGRAM FOR PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS OF CHILDREN WITH SELECTIVE MUTISM

KEY WORDS:

Selective Mutism; Cognitive-behavioral treatment; Psychoeducation

PAGES: 148
BIG AREA: Ciências Humanas
AREA: Psicologia
SUBÁREA: Tratamento e Prevenção Psicológica
SPECIALTY: Intervenção Terapêutica
SUMMARY:

This project aimed to create a program, in an online format, to psychoeducate parents and care-
givers of children with selective mutism, through guidance and management of techniques and

strategies that help conduct treatment. Selective Mutism is a social anxiety disorder, considered
rare, which is characterized by the absence of speech in specific social situations. This speech
failure is not related to a lack of knowledge or discomfort with language and, therefore, must
be differentiated from speech disorders. In the treatment of selective mutism, caregivers play a
crucial role in the intervention process, acting as co-therapists and influencing models of the

new behaviors that will be exhibited by them. Parents of mutistic children usually play a rein-
forcing role in mute behavior, and for this and other behaviors, intervention with parents, psy-
choeducating them, is of utmost importance in the intervention of Selective Mutism in children.

To achieve this objective, an integrative review of the literature on the topic was carried out,
following the following guiding questions: “Is there a group psychoeducation program with
parents of children with selective mutism? How is it structured? How can we work with families
of children diagnosed with selective mutism to play a positive role in their treatment? Are social
anxiety and behavioral inhibition predictors of selective mutism and what is the relationship
between them?”; the functioning of 68 children with MS up to 12 years of age was evaluated;
and the characteristics of 23 parents of children with selective mutism. The sample for this
research was constituted by convenience, recruited through the online platform of the Brazilian
Association of Selective Mutism and Childhood Anxiety. An exploratory study was carried out,
with a quantitative-qualitative approach. The main results in the assessment of children were

the identification of the prevalence of internalizing disorders; it was possible to observe char-
acteristics associated with MS - which include not only those based on anxiety, but also tem-
peramental characteristics, such as shyness, negativism; social problems such as isolation and

withdrawal; and oppositional characteristics, such as temper tantrums. Another important result
was the prevalence of attention problems in children. In relation to the parents' assessment, the

manifestation of internalizing behaviors with traces of depression and anxiety in greater num-
bers, as well as avoidance behaviors, was evident. In the end, it was possible to structure the

psychoeducation program, consisting of 8 90-minute meetings, which aims to provide psy-
choeducation to parents about selective mutism: how to manage it in everyday situations, how

to deal with negative comments from other people, how to react when your child starts talking
and how to support your child regarding issues involving the school environment.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - 1808252 - ANA CLAUDIA DE AZEVEDO PEIXOTO
Externa à Instituição - CRISTIANE MOREIRA DA SILVA - UCP
Externo à Instituição - KARLA DA COSTA SEABRA - UERJ