On March 19, 2020, the Argentine government decreed a mandatory preventive isolation as a necessary measure to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus in Argentina. The decree stipulated that all Argentine residents must remain in their homes and prohibited movement in public spaces and gatherings of people. This led to the interruption of work activities at regular workplaces, attendance at educational institutions, public religious services, and the closure of the country's borders.

These measures were in place in Argentina for five months, causing a significant shift in work dynamics for adults, a change in the learning process for children and adolescents, and modifications in how family members interacted. Furthermore, the lack of social interaction began to negatively affect the mental health of young people and adults. In fact, according to a report by the National University of Mar del Plata, which surveyed nearly 15.000 people, 82% expressed concern about their health, 35% indicated concern about the emotional impact of the quarantine, and 37% reported experiencing some symptoms of depression.

Motivated by this social reality and with the intention of promoting the mental health of young people, Dr. Belén Mesurado, a CONICET researcher and member of the Universidad AustralTogether with his team, he made the virtual Hero program available to a group of families, developed thanks to a grant from the Templeton World Charity Foundation.

During the mandatory quarantine, around 100 Argentine teenagers aged 12 to 15 participated in 'Hero'. The virtual Hero program was administered from the teenagers' homes via our website. www.herointervention.com seeking to mitigate the negative effects of social isolation on the mental health of young people.

The study results showed that the children who participated in the Hero program improved their family bonds with their parents and siblings by fostering empathy—the ability to put themselves in others' shoes, understand their perspectives, and share their emotions and feelings. Furthermore, Hero helped them improve their acts of solidarity by offering support to their parents and siblings with whom they lived during isolation. Finally, the program also helped them improve their emotional well-being by promoting reflection and encouraging joy, relaxation, and gratitude for the opportunities they had, for their families, and so on.

Note: All differences were statistically significant with a 1% probability of error.

We also share some testimonials from the teenagers who participated in the study:

A scientific article on the effectiveness of the program in young Argentinians during the quarantine period is currently being prepared.