The ACT creative health program improves working memory, self-esteem, and mood among elementary school children in Indonesia

Distance learning during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic reduced social interactions and physical activities in elementary school students, which may have affected their mental health, self-esteem, and cognitive function. ACT workshops of the Creative Health Program (ACHP), a participatory mini-theatre that encourages agency in children, empower children to collaborate with others and express their thoughts about their community using their bodies. This study aims to analyze the effects of the ACHP on reaction time, working memory, self-esteem, and total mood disorder (TMD) among children in Indonesia. It was a quasi-experimental pre- and post-test control group design. Participants were 189 5th-grade elementary school students, which randomly allocated to control (N = 111) and ACHP intervention (N = 78) groups. The ACHP was a class lasting approximately 90 min in which children worked in groups to exchange opinions about their community, select a topic, develop a short-acting scene, and perform it in front of peers and adults. Reaction time, working memory, self-esteem, and TMD were examined in both groups pre- and post-intervention. The ACHP group showed significant improvements in all indicators, including reduced reaction time (p < 0.001), improved working memory (p < 0.01), self-esteem (p < 0.001), and lowered TMD score (p < 0.001). Compared with the control group, the ACHP group showed significant improvements in all indicators except reaction time. In conclusion, ACHP improved working memory, self-esteem, and TMD scores in elementary school children. A more comprehensive and continuous implementation of such creative group activities is recommended to compensate for lost active learning opportunities during the pandemic.