Work

Social and emotional learning and physical health outcomes across the lifespan: Little progress & big potential

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This conceptual review addresses the question: Can the development of social and emotional competencies contribute to positive long-term health outcomes? Both current research and theory suggests a logical basis on which to hypothesize that building social and emotional competencies could positively influence short and long term physical and behavioral health outcomes. The paper reviews a variety of types of evidence including longitudinal studies that connect childhood competencies and adult health and morbidity, concurrent correlations between social competencies and health in childhood, and short and longer-term outcomes of social and emotional intervention trials. The review concludes that there is a sufficient warrant for this idea, but that very few social and emotional intervention studies have examined health outcomes. The paper conclude withs with recommendations for how to grow the evidence base and its implication for research and policy. There has been little investigation of how social and emotional competencies (SECs) and interventions might affect physical health across the lifespan. This paper reviews current evidence on the relationship of SECS and interventions to short-term and long-term health outcomes and demonstrates a relationship between them. The paper calls for future research to include short and long-term study of health and health indicators.

Source: Social and Emotional Learning Research Practice and Policy

DOI: 10.1016/j.sel.2025.100108

Author: Mark T. Greenberg

Institution: Pennsylvania State University

Language: English

Topic: Early Childhood Education and Development

Subfield: Education

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,700