Distanced but United: An Educational Intervention to Foster Children's Self-Efficacy in Complying with Safety Measures Against COVID-19 and Reduce Anxiety

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools temporarily interrupted face-to-face activities, replacing them with distance learning. Children experienced prolonged physical isolation from their peers, teachers, and networks, which negatively affected their mental health. When schools re-opened, children were required to comply with containment rules against the spread of the virus whilst still suffering the psychological consequences of the pandemic. Whereas extensive research has examined the detrimental consequences of the lockdown, little attention has been devoted to children's experiences during the phases of progressive reduction of isolation. To fill this gap, we aimed to test the effectiveness of an intervention focused on facilitating primary school children's return to school by fostering their self-efficacy in complying with restrictive rules. Two hundred and twenty-one first- to fifth-graders filled out self-efficacy and anxiety measures before and after a story-based intervention paired with playful activities aimed at increasing children's comprehension and compliance with the anti-COVID-19 rules. The hierarchical regression analysis showed that the intervention provided children with confidence in being able to follow the rules through story reading and class activities. Consistent with hypotheses, self-efficacy increased over time as a function of the intervention, and this growth was associated with an anxiety reduction.