Effectiveness of super skills for life transdiagnostic program in children with mental health problems: One-year outcomes in a clinical setting

Symptoms of anxiety and depression are common in children. There are limitations that prevent the implementation of evidenced-based interventions in national mental health services. Additionally, a community setting may involve factors that limit effectiveness compared to a research setting. Objectives: This study is the first to evaluate the medium- and long-term effectiveness of the Super Skills for Life (SSL) transdiagnostic program integrated into routine clinical practice in Spain, thereby addressing the critical gap between controlled trials and real-world implementation. Method: 43 children (mean = 10.21 years, 65.1% boys) with an emotional disorder participated. Results: Children who met criteria for an emotional disorder decreased significantly at all follow-up visits after the intervention (3-, 6- and 12-months). In addition, significantly lower scores were found for symptoms of depression, anxiety, and global difficulties. Reductions in anxiety symptoms and global difficulties were statistically significant at 3-, 6-, and 12-months follow-up. Conclusions: The SSL program, when implemented in routine mental health services, reduces children’s symptoms and diagnoses and demonstrates the feasibility of applying a transdiagnostic, group-based intervention in real-world clinical settings. Beyond clinical improvements, the design—anchored in multi-informant evidence, fidelity monitoring, and longitudinal follow-up—provides a replicable model for evaluating child mental health interventions under real-world conditions, strengthening both scientific validity and clinical utility.