Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41437354›Full record

Trial reportBMC public health2025

Building character strengths and virtues in Sri Lanka: a cluster randomized pre-post evaluation of a school-based intervention.

Suhail Asrar, Miyuru Chandradasa, Sonali Amarasekera, Angela Paric, Sivunadipathige Sumanasiri, Nisha Ravindran, Shehan Williams, Arun Ravindran

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Suhail AsrarDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 250 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5T 1R8, Canada.
Miyuru ChandradasaDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty Of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Ragama, Sri Lanka.
Sonali AmarasekeraCentre for Addiction and Mental Health, 1000 Queen St W, Toronto, ON, M6J 1H4, Canada.
Angela ParicCentre for Addiction and Mental Health, 1000 Queen St W, Toronto, ON, M6J 1H4, Canada.
Sivunadipathige SumanasiriDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty Of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Ragama, Sri Lanka.
Nisha RavindranDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 250 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5T 1R8, Canada.
Shehan Williams *Department of Psychiatry, Faculty Of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Ragama, Sri Lanka.
Arun Ravindran *Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 250 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5T 1R8, Canada. Arun.Ravindran@camh.ca.

Funding

TWCF TWCF-2018-20361
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSri Lanka (SL) is a multiethnic nation that has endured a decades-long civil war and a devastating tsunami. These events led to a widespread loss of life, displacement, destruction of family and social infrastructure, and economic collapse. Their impact was compounded by adverse social determinants such as poverty, unemployment, food insecurity, and homelessness. Sri Lankan youth are particularly vulnerable to the cumulative effects of these acute and chronic stressors, underscoring the urgent need for interventions that foster resilience and healing.

methodsWe will implement a 10-week school-based program - Leadership, Empathy, Altruism, Personal Growth, and Social Responsibility (LEAPS) - to cultivate character strengths in youth. The program will be culturally and historically tailored to the SL context, and will integrate key tenets from the country’s four major religions to promote unity, social values, and spiritual collaboration. LEAPS will consist of 10 interactive modules delivered through a web-based platform during regular school hours, supplementing the standard curriculum. Teachers will be trained using the train-the-trainer model to facilitate student engagement, ensure program fidelity and long-term sustainability. The impact of LEAPS on student character development and well-being will be evaluated using a cluster randomized pre-post design. Students will be assigned either to the intervention group (where they will participate in the LEAPS program alongside their regular curriculum) or the control group (where they will follow the standard curriculum without additional interventions). Assessments of character strengths and well-being will be conducted via student questionnaires at baseline, post-intervention, and at a 6-month follow-up. Changes over time and between groups will be analyzed to determine program benefits and effectiveness. DISCUSSION: The LEAPS program aims to enhance character development and well-being in SL youth. The interactive, web-based format of the program is also anticipated to facilitate uptake, knowledge translation, scalability and long-term sustainability, benefiting not only youth but also their families and broader communities.

trial registrationThis trial was registered with the Sri Lanka Trials Registry (No: SLCTR/2020/016) on June 25, 2020.

Indexed as

School Health ServicesAdolescentAltruismChildEmpathyHumansLeadershipProgram EvaluationResilience, PsychologicalSchoolsSocial ResponsibilitySri LankaCharacter developmentSchool-based programSri LankaWeb-based interventionYouth resilience

Identifiers

PMID41437354
PMCPMC12849499

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.