PEDIATRIC HEALTH
Changing Life Trajectories with Positive Intelligence By Charles Campbell, Jessica Glossop, Roshan George, Raudel Guerra and Joshua Kuehne
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions impacted more than just the capacity of Bexar County health systems and the local economy. For our most vulnerable and at-risk adolescent populations, the restrictions amplified pre-existing social inequalities and led to increased incidences of distress, anxiety and depression as a result of the mandated internal displacement and social isolation imposed on our youth.1 Without question, the psychological and mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic will have lasting effects on Bexar County youth with regard to educational and career goals. To mitigate these negative effects, an ambitious team of medical students at the UIW School of Osteopathic Medicine (UIWSOM) partnered with Southwest Independent School District (SWISD) through a community engagement partnership (CEP) project and developed an educational video series to provide high school juniors and seniors positive intelligence and mindfulness training. Dr. Leticia Vargas, the team’s lead advisor, made it clear that "if something isn't done to change the life trajectory of these high school students, their ability to take advantage of opportunities for meaningful careers will be limited. Teaching them the value of positive intelligence is one way to help alter their trajectory and bring them closer to their educational and career goals." The Positive Intelligence (PQ) training is based on the book Positive Intelligence by Shirzad Chamine. It is the science and practice of developing mastery over your own mind so you can reach your full potential for both happiness and success. PQ is based
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around an understanding of saboteurs, the agents of self-sabotage, that represent your brain's automatic habits used to handle life’s challenges. There are ten saboteurs (harmful, innate stress-coping mechanisms) that include the Judge, Controller, Avoider, Victim, Stickler, Pleaser, Hyper-Achiever, Hyper-Vigilant, Restless and Hyper-Rational. Through weakening of the saboteurs and development of one’s sages (beneficial positive emotions) - activate, explore, innovate, navigate and empathy - a person can increase their positive intelligence score, which can lead to increased success and happiness.2 The PQ series’ adaptability for a younger audience was the primary reason it was selected as the model for the CEP. The CEP targeted underserved and disadvantaged high school juniors and seniors in SWISD. The majority of the student body are Hispanic with 74.6% of students coming from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.3 In addition, the majority of students at this school are classified as “at risk” for dropping out of school based upon criteria established at the state level. When it comes to college readiness, the students are
SAN ANTONIO MEDICINE • September 2021
achieving SAT and ACT scores that are below the statewide average. The COVID-19 mandated restrictions caused students to struggle with learning, impacting their ability to reach their academic achievement goals. This project sought to teach students skills to foster a mindset that promotes greater achievement while learning to address mindsets that may limit their growth. Without intervention, it was hypothesized that some students may continue down a path that would prevent them from achieving their full potential. Therefore, the project was developed with the intentions of challenging the student’s mindset, along with their habits, so they can achieve their highest potential and continue to grow. Valerie Gutierrez, the SWISD Health Science Department Lead, aided the team in targeting a population of approximately 90 students, all of whom are dually enrolled in the school’s medical assistant certification program. These students were able to complete the mindfulness training during specified time periods in class with technology platforms available through the school. An understanding of the student population
