Mental health
anxiety
SAID
About half of the participants observed that their mental health was enhanced by SPARK resilience training. In particular, resilience and psychological resources appeared to have been strengthened, with participants expressing feeling stronger, more loving, and having more dignity and hope. For instance, one participant shared: “I was trying to get back up the slope, to take care of myself to regain some energy and dignity”. Another said: “I felt more able to resist circumstances and this has helped my anxiety”. Increased awareness of one’s perceptions, emotions and needs might lead to positive mental health changes. Several participants reported an improvement in their levels of emotional well-being. As one participant recounted, “Even with everything that is currently going on in the world, I feel more content and stable in myself”; another person expressed feeling “liberated” after a job interview that did not lead to the job; yet another participant stated: “I am proud for having acted upon my needs and not based on my father’s thoughts of what he considers as normal. Each of us has our own way of doing things, so I want to continue listening to myself.” In addition, participating in the SPARK training seems to have enhanced feelings of psychological safety and grounding for some, referred to by one participant as “a sense of internal security”.