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If you have ever been on a diet to lose weight or know someone who has, you know that a fundamental principle for it to work is: stop eating what makes you fat. We all know that there are food that should be avoided or reduced. Normally, dieting is associated with depriving yourself of a certain amount of food, for example, giving up what we call “junk food”.

However, we also know that we shouldn’t only eliminate some food; but we should also include others, such as fruits and vegetables. If we focused more on the latter, we would associate dieting with eating healthier food. This is also essential for good health and the prevention of many diseases. If we eat healthy food, we would be less likely to gain weight and get certain diseases.

This same logic could be applied in the personal and social field with respect to the prevention of some problems or discomfort. If we do not want to have or suffer from a problem, perhaps it would be better to focus on what we have to do (For example: eat healthy food) instead of concentrating on what we do not have to do (For example: eat junk food). We have to think about which are those «healthy food» we should consume more in our lives to avoid what we don’t want.

For me, those “healthy food” are social-emotional skills: self-esteem, self-awareness, self-control, social awareness, responsible decision-making, resilience, etc. They are skills that we develop throughout our lives and help us not only to connect with other people but also to connect with ourselves; that is, they help us in our personal and social development.

What role do they play in prevention?

Several investigations have demostrated the strong relationship between socio-emotional skills and some difficulties or «problems». For example, there has been a negative correlation between self-esteem and depression, suicidal ideation, behavior problems, school dropout, low academic performance, drug use, eating disorders, and psychological disorders. (See references below).

In a study, the principal investigators assessed the evidence on the long-run associations between social and emotional skills in childhood and adult outcomes. They reported the findings from an extensive literature review and their new research. (Goodman, Joshi, Nasim & Tyler, 2015). This study was based on these 5 groups of social-emotional skills:

1. Self-perceptions and self-awareness.
2. Motivation
3. Self-control and self-regulation
4. Social skills
5. Resilience and coping

Researchers found “a very significant body of work demonstrating the association of self-control, self-regulation (and similar concepts) in childhood with many domains of adult life, including mental health, life satisfaction and wellbeing, qualifications, income and labour market outcomes, measures of physical health, obesity, smoking, crime and mortality.” (Goodman, Joshi, Nasim & Tyler, 2015, p.8)

They also found that self-efficacy was related to “a number of adult outcomes, including mental distress, self-rated health, obesity and unemployment”. Regarding self-esteem in childhood, the literature shows that “is associated with both mental and physical health in adult life.”. Also, “social skills have been found to be important as predictors of non-labour market outcomes, in particular mental health and wellbeing, health behaviours, and marriage in later life.” (Goodman, Joshi, Nasim & Tyler, 2015, p.8)

Considering these results and many others, we can say that socio-emotional skills are key components of prevention, and their development is an important protective factor for general health and well-being.

Working on our own personal and social development is not a luxury but a necessity. Although having these skills does not mean being free of problems, it does mean having more resources to avoid them and deal with them when they arise.

Also, we must keep in mind that these are skills we develop throughout our lives and not only in childhood and adolescence. Although it is in these stages that the greatest weight is given, we must not forget that work on oneself is permanent if we want to achieve general well-being. In a good and healthy diet of life, these «food» cannot be missing.

“Researchers have found that even more than IQ, your emotional awareness and ability to handle feelings will determine your success and happiness in all walks of life, including family relationships.”John Gottman

References

Ceballos-Ospino, G. A., Suarez-Colorado, Y., Suescún-Arregocés, J., Gamarra-Vega, L. M., González, K. E., & Sotelo-Manjarres, A. P. (2015). Ideación suicida, depresión y autoestima en adolescentes escolares de Santa Marta. Duazary, 12(1), 15 – 22.

http://revistas.unimagdalena.edu.co/index.php/duazary/article/view/1394

Contreras-Valdez, J. A., Hernández-Guzmán, L., & Freyre, M. Á. (2016). Body dissatisfaction, self-esteem, and depression in girls with obesity. Revista Mexicana de trastornos alimentarios, 7(1), 24-31.

http://www.scielo.org.mx/pdf/rmta/v7n1/2007-1523-rmta-7-01-00024.pdf

Estévez López, E., Martínez Ferrere, B., & Musitu Ochoa, G. (2006). La autoestima en adolescentes agresores y víctimas en la escuela: La perspectiva multidimensional. Psychosocial Intervention, 15(2), 223-232.

http://scielo.isciii.es/pdf/inter/v15n2/v15n2a07.pdf

Garaigordobil, M., Durá, A., & Pérez, J. I. (2005). Síntomas psicopatológicos, problemas de conducta y autoconcepto-autoestima: Un estudio con adolescentes de 14 a 17 años. Anuario de Psicología Clínica y de la Salud, 1, 53-63.

http://institucionales.us.es/apcs/doc/APCS_1_esp_53-63.pdf

Goodman, A., Joshi, H., Nasim, B., & Tyler, C. (2015). Social and emotional skills in childhood and their long-term effects on adult life. London: Institute of Education. https://www.eif.org.uk/report/social-and-emotional-skills-in-childhood-and-their-long-term-effects-on-adult-life

Montt, M. E., & Chávez, F. U. (1996). Autoestima y salud mental en los adolescentes. Salud mental, 19(3), 30-35.

http://revistasaludmental.mx/index.php/salud_mental/article/view/596/596

Ochoa, G. M., & Olaizola, J. H. (2003). El rol de la autoestima en el consumo moderado de drogas en la adolescencia. Revista Internacional de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades, SOCIOTAM, 13(1), 285-306.

Ortega, F. R. F., Mendoza, J. V., & Ballestas, L. F. F. (2014). Factores psicológicos en adolescentes escolarizados con bajo rendimiento académico: depresión y autoestima. Encuentros, 12(2), 35-47.

Portela de Santana, M. L., da Costa Ribeiro Junior, H., Mora Giral, M., & Raich, R. M. (2012). La epidemiología y los factores de riesgo de los trastornos alimentarios en la adolescencia: una revisión. Nutrición hospitalaria, 27(2), 391-401.

http://scielo.isciii.es/pdf/nh/v27n2/08_revision_07.pdf