Are life skills-based interventions effective to reduce peer problems among school-going adolescents in a conflict-affected rural area in Sri Lanka?

Introduction: Peer problems are common among school-going adolescents, and it is important to take action to reduce them and promote the mental health of the students.   Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of a life skills-based educational module to reduce peer problems among the grade 10 st...

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Main Authors: Sajani Nadeeka, Kumudu Wijewardena
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka 2022-11-01
Series:Journal of the College of Community Physicians
Subjects:
Online Access:https://account.jccpsl.sljol.info/index.php/sljo-j-jccpsl/article/view/8530
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author Sajani Nadeeka
Kumudu Wijewardena
author_facet Sajani Nadeeka
Kumudu Wijewardena
author_sort Sajani Nadeeka
collection DOAJ
description Introduction: Peer problems are common among school-going adolescents, and it is important to take action to reduce them and promote the mental health of the students.   Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of a life skills-based educational module to reduce peer problems among the grade 10 students of Ampara health district, Sri Lanka   Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted in Ampara Educational Zone. The schools were purposively selected for the intervention and control groups. A total of 368 grade 10 students were recruited for the study. Out of them, 187 students were allocated to the intervention group and 181 students to the control group. The life skills-based educational intervention was delivered only to the intervention group and the control group was not given any similar kind of training. The effectiveness of the intervention was assessed after 12 weeks of the initiation.   Results: There was a significant improvement in friendships in the intervention group (p=0.03). There was no statistically significant reduction in violent activities in the intervention group (χ2=0.5; df=1, p=0.4). No statistically significant reduction in the abnormal peer score (χ2=0.01; p=0.8) and total SDQ score (χ2=0.9; df=1; p=0.3) was noticed among the intervention group when compared to the control group.   Conclusions & Recommendations: Life skills-based intervention effectively improved friendship activities among the intervention group after 12 weeks of the initiation.
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spelling doaj.art-8bdca069e3f54928978a21dca499dac02024-01-09T12:13:51ZengCollege of Community Physicians of Sri LankaJournal of the College of Community Physicians1391-31742579-14512022-11-0128310.4038/jccpsl.v28i3.8530Are life skills-based interventions effective to reduce peer problems among school-going adolescents in a conflict-affected rural area in Sri Lanka?Sajani Nadeeka0Kumudu Wijewardena1Ministry of HealthUniversity of Sri Jayewardenepura Introduction: Peer problems are common among school-going adolescents, and it is important to take action to reduce them and promote the mental health of the students.   Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of a life skills-based educational module to reduce peer problems among the grade 10 students of Ampara health district, Sri Lanka   Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted in Ampara Educational Zone. The schools were purposively selected for the intervention and control groups. A total of 368 grade 10 students were recruited for the study. Out of them, 187 students were allocated to the intervention group and 181 students to the control group. The life skills-based educational intervention was delivered only to the intervention group and the control group was not given any similar kind of training. The effectiveness of the intervention was assessed after 12 weeks of the initiation.   Results: There was a significant improvement in friendships in the intervention group (p=0.03). There was no statistically significant reduction in violent activities in the intervention group (χ2=0.5; df=1, p=0.4). No statistically significant reduction in the abnormal peer score (χ2=0.01; p=0.8) and total SDQ score (χ2=0.9; df=1; p=0.3) was noticed among the intervention group when compared to the control group.   Conclusions & Recommendations: Life skills-based intervention effectively improved friendship activities among the intervention group after 12 weeks of the initiation.https://account.jccpsl.sljol.info/index.php/sljo-j-jccpsl/article/view/8530Life skillsPeer problemsAdolescentsInterventionEffectiveness
spellingShingle Sajani Nadeeka
Kumudu Wijewardena
Are life skills-based interventions effective to reduce peer problems among school-going adolescents in a conflict-affected rural area in Sri Lanka?
Journal of the College of Community Physicians
Life skills
Peer problems
Adolescents
Intervention
Effectiveness
title Are life skills-based interventions effective to reduce peer problems among school-going adolescents in a conflict-affected rural area in Sri Lanka?
title_full Are life skills-based interventions effective to reduce peer problems among school-going adolescents in a conflict-affected rural area in Sri Lanka?
title_fullStr Are life skills-based interventions effective to reduce peer problems among school-going adolescents in a conflict-affected rural area in Sri Lanka?
title_full_unstemmed Are life skills-based interventions effective to reduce peer problems among school-going adolescents in a conflict-affected rural area in Sri Lanka?
title_short Are life skills-based interventions effective to reduce peer problems among school-going adolescents in a conflict-affected rural area in Sri Lanka?
title_sort are life skills based interventions effective to reduce peer problems among school going adolescents in a conflict affected rural area in sri lanka
topic Life skills
Peer problems
Adolescents
Intervention
Effectiveness
url https://account.jccpsl.sljol.info/index.php/sljo-j-jccpsl/article/view/8530
work_keys_str_mv AT sajaninadeeka arelifeskillsbasedinterventionseffectivetoreducepeerproblemsamongschoolgoingadolescentsinaconflictaffectedruralareainsrilanka
AT kumuduwijewardena arelifeskillsbasedinterventionseffectivetoreducepeerproblemsamongschoolgoingadolescentsinaconflictaffectedruralareainsrilanka