Life Challenges and Barriers to Help Seeking: Adolescents’ and Young Adults’ Voices of Mental Health

Listening to the voices of adolescents and young adults regarding their lived experiences could be a way to identify important skills and abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that will enable youth to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life. Hence, the aim with the current study is to explore the experiences and understandings of the life situation among adolescents and young adults of today, by making their voices heard in regards to mental health and help-seeking behaviour. A total of 6 group interviews were conducted with 22 adolescents and young adults (13 girls and 9 boys) ages 17–25 (M = 18.6 years). Data analysis was conducted using qualitative content analysis and resulted in two categories and five subcategories. The first category, Life challenges, included views on the sources of mental health, how to manage different types of relationships, and thoughts on accepted ways to express mental health problems. The second category, The need of present adults, highlighted important aspects for seeking help, such as an expressed need to be seen and heard by adults including parents, school staff, and other professionals as well as a need for adults’ increased availability. The challenges to students’ well-being and mental health are many, and there are no simple solutions. Based on the results in this study, life skills training should include elements to enhance the development of individual coping strategies, to be applied when life feels tough and when the body is experiencing stress reactions. Further, to minimize the risk of self-stigma and the internalization of negative stereotypes and self-blame, life skills training should include elements to increase knowledge of structural factors that have effects on the life situation as well as parents, school personnel, and other important adults.

Effect of Life Skills Training on Suicidal Behaviour of Adolescents

The study aims to investigate the effect of life skills training on the suicidal behaviour of adolescents. The study employs a quasi-experimental research design. The sample comprised 970 adolescents studying in the ninth grade. The study was carried out in three phases. Life skills training programme was conducted in 30 sessions within the school premises. For each life skill, sessions were activity-based and participatory. The techniques used to impart training were role play, small group activities, lectures and group discussions. The results show a significant decremental effect of life skills training on suicidal behaviour of adolescents. Life skills training was effective in reducing suicidal behaviour among adolescents. Life skills training improves decision-making, problem-solving, goal setting, conflict resolution, advocacy, coping, and mindfulness skills in students. Hence, schools should provide skill-building opportunities for adolescents to reduce risk factors and enhance protective factors. Also, schools should embed life skills training in general mental health promotion rather than specific suicide prevention activities.

Effectiveness of Life Skills Training Based on Self-Care on Mental Health and Quality of Life of Married Afghan Women in Iran

Objective: One of the major issues that immigrants, especially Afghan women face, is their self-care disability. This will cause problems in their mental health and quality of life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of life skills training based on self-care on mental health and quality of life of married Afghan women living in Taft.Method: This quasi-experimental was conducted using a pretest posttest design with control group. Statistical population was all married Afghan women living in Taft of whom 60 women were selected using purposive sampling and were randomly allocated to two groups of 30 as case and control groups. The experimental group received 8 sessions of life skills training based on self-care. General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and Quality of Life of the World Health Organization Questionnaire (WHOQ- BREF) were used to collect data. Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was used to analyze the data.Results: Results showed that following the intervention, the mean scores of quality of life (p<0.0001) and mental health (p<0.019) in the case group increased in the posttest compared to the pretest and the effect of intervention was significant. Conclusion: Results suggested that providing a training opportunity for Afghan women to learn life skills based on self-care, enables them to realize their strengths and weaknesses and improve their quality of life and mental health.

Efektivitas Pelatihan Kecakapan Hidup Menggunakan Modul Pengelolaan Emosi pada Remaja Perempuan dengan Lupus Eritematosus Sistemik

Lupus eritematosus sistemik (LES) merupakan penyakit kronik yang dapat menyebabkan masalah emosi pada remaja, khususnya perempuan sehingga fokus perawatan pada remaja dengan LES adalah mengatasi gangguan yang dialami secara keseluruhan. Studi ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui masalah emosi pada remaja perempuan dengan LES dan efektivitas pelatihan kecakapan hidup-modul pengelolaan emosi (PKH-MPE) dalam mengatasi masalah emosi. Studi ini menggunakan desain uji klinis teracak dalam 2 grup di RSUPN dr. Cipto Mangungkusumo pada bulan Januari hingga Desember 2019. Subjek adalah 30 remaja perempuan dengan LES yang sudah mendapat terapi dan memiliki skor Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) 0-5. Masalah emosi dinilai dengan Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) pada awal dan 4 minggu pasca perlakuan. Sebanyak 6/30 remaja perempuan memiliki nilai SDQ abnormal pada awal studi. PKH-MPE efektif menurunkan masalah emosi pada kelompok perlakuan dibandingkan kontrol (uji Wilcoxon, p=0,002). Pada kelompok perlakuan terdapat perbaikan total skor SDQ (p=0,001), masalah emosi (p = 0,002), masalah perilaku (p=0,027) dan perilaku hiperaktif (p=0,040) dibandingkan awal studi. PKH-MPE secara bermakna mengurangi keluhan nyeri, kecemasan dan perasaan gugup pada kelompok perlakuan. Disimpulkan PKH-MPE efektif memperbaiki masalah emosi pada remaja perempuan dengan LES, terutama keluhan nyeri, cemas, dan perasaan gugup. Kata kunci: lupus, penyakit kronis, masalah emosi, pelatihan kecakapan hidup, SDQ. Effectiveness of Life SkillsTraining-Emotional Management Module in Female Adolescent with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Abstract Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic disease that can cause emotional problems in adolescents, predominantly female thus, the focus of care in adolescents with SLE is to treat the patients holistic. The study aims to assess the emotional problems in female adolescents with SLE and the effect of life skills training-emotional management module in female adolescents with SLE. This study is a randomized clinical trial with no blinding which located in Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital Jakarta. Thirty female adolescents with treated SLE and had Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) score 0-5 were included. Emotional problems were assessed at the beginning of the study and four weeks after intervention. It was found that there were 6/30 subjects with abnormal SDQ at the beginning of the study. Life skills training was found effective in treating emotional problems, compared to control with (Wilcoxon test, p=0.002). Life skill straining was also found effective in improving SDQ score (p=0.001), emotional problem (p=0.002), conduct problems (p=0.027),and hyperactivity (p=0.040) in the intervention group compared to baseline. Life skill straining reduced physical pain, worries, and nervousness in the intervention group. In conclusion, the life skill straining-emotional management module was effective in improving emotional problems in a female adolescent with SLE, especially physical pain, worries, and nervousness. Keywords: SLE, chronic disease, emotional problems, life skills training, SDQ.

Impact of Life Skills Training on Adolescents’ Inclination to Risky Behaviors: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Background: High-risk behaviors of adolescents and failure to correct their insights and attitudes can have many negative consequences. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of life skills training on adolescents’ tendency to engage in high-risk behaviors. Methods: The present study was a randomized controlled clinical trial, in which 100 high school students from both sexes were selected via the multistage cluster random sampling method and divided into the intervention (n = 50) and control (n = 50) groups using the block randomization method with a block size of 4. Eight life skills training group discussion sessions of 45 minutes weekly were held for the intervention groups for two months, and a one-hour follow-up session was held 20 days after the end of the eight sessions. The study instruments included a demographic questionnaire and the Iranian adolescents’ risk-taking scale. After confirming the validity and reliability of the instruments and obtaining written informed consent of the participants, they were asked to fill out the questionnaires. Using SPSS 18, the data were analyzed by standard deviations for quantitative variables and percentages for qualitative data, as well as chi-squared test, the independent t-test, and repeated-measures analysis of variance, the results being reported at a significance level of 0.05. Results: The results showed that life skills training led to significant decreases in the mean scores of high-risk behaviors, including drug abuse, alcohol consumption, smoking, and violence, at different times in the intervention group in both sexes (P < 0.05), while no significant changes were observed in the control group. Conclusions: The results showed that life skills training can reduce adolescents’ tendency to engage in high-risk behaviors.

Successful Transition to Life After Incarceration: A Pilot Program

Date Presented 04/7/21 A pilot for integrating OT into a Department of Corrections Community Supervision Center was implemented. This pilot sought to use OT assessment and intervention for justice-involved individuals to address skill building, increase problem solving, and further explore the needs and barriers to re-entry, including maintenance of supervision to prevent recidivism. This pilot highlighted a gap in life skills training for this population and this program's impact. Primary Author and Speaker: Ariana Gonzalez Additional Authors and Speakers: Megan Davis, Emily Gralinski, Stephanie Monforte,and Jacqueline Strausser