The Effect of Social Skill Education Program on Adolescents in Baghdad, Iraq

The Effect of Social Skill Education Program on Adolescents in Baghdad, Iraq: A Preliminary Report

Authors: Aysin Kamal, Eman A. Al-Kaseer, Suhair Aljubori, Jawad K. Al-Diwan

Summary

Background

In Iraq, adolescents face numerous challenges, including poverty, internal migration, emotional pain, conflict, frustration, anxiety about the future, peer pressure, and curiosity. These factors are compounded by threats to their physical and mental health.

Objective

The study aims to highlight the impact of a life skills training program on promoting the physical and mental health of adolescents.

Methods

The study involved 120 adolescents from youth centers in Baghdad (Al-Zaafarania in Rusafa and Al-Tahaddi in Karkh) from April 2010 to September 2011. Of these, 50 adolescents (aged 19 ± 2.4 years, male-to-female ratio of 1.4:1) underwent a 30-day life skills training program consisting of 12 sessions, each lasting 60 minutes. The program covered topics such as health value, dietary habits, fitness, social skills, stress management, attitudes toward abuse, harassment, bullying, rape, and violence, sex and sexuality, reproductive health, life transitions, and career guidance. The remaining 70 adolescents served as a control group with matched age and sex. Positive outcomes, including personal hygiene, sleep, healthy weight, exercise, social competence, and study skills, were evaluated. Scores were presented as mean ± SD, and Student's t-test was used to compare outcomes between trained and untrained groups, with a p-value < 0.05 considered significant.

Results

Trained adolescents showed significantly higher scores in several areas compared to the untrained group:

• Value of health: 6.2 ± 2.3 vs. 4.9 ± 3.5 (p=0.025)
• Dietary habits: 5.1 ± 2.5 vs. 3.9 ± 2.5 (p=0.025)
• Fitness for life: 4.8 ± 1.2 vs. 3.7 ± 2.2 (p=0.001)
• Social skills: 7.3 ± 3.1 vs. 6.1 ± 2.7 (p=0.04)
• Stress management: 8.9 ± 3.4 vs. 7.1 ± 3.2 (p=0.025)
• Attitude toward abuse, harassment, bullying, and rape: 8.7 ± 2.7 vs. 6.1 ± 3.3 (p=0.001)
• Violence: 1.9 ± 0.5 vs. 0.8 ± 0.7 (p=0.001)
• Life transition: 3.7 ± 1.7 vs. 2.8 ± 2.1 (p=0.03)
• Career guidance: 7.2 ± 4.1 vs. 6.4 ± 3.8 (p=0.03)

No significant differences were observed in sex and sexuality (5.2 ± 2.7 vs. 4.9 ± 2.4, p=0.2) or reproductive health (3.5 ± 2.8 vs. 2.7 ± 2.4, p=0.1).

Conclusion

Life skills training significantly improved outcomes related to health, social skills, stress management, and attitudes toward abuse and violence, indicating its potential for promoting both physical and mental health among adolescents.

Keywords

Life skills, Iraq, adolescent, physical and mental health

Introduction

Life skills encompass psychosocial and interpersonal competencies that enable individuals to make informed decisions, solve problems, think critically, communicate effectively, build healthy relationships, empathize, and manage their lives productively. In Iraq, adolescents face challenges such as poverty, internal migration, emotional distress, and threats to their physical and mental health. Due to the scarcity of literature on life skills in Iraq, this study evaluates the impact of a life skills training program.

Materials and Methods

The study included 120 adolescents from two youth centers in Baghdad, conducted between April 2010 and September 2011. Fifty adolescents underwent a 30-day life skills training program (12 sessions, 60 minutes each), while 70 served as a control group. The training covered health, diet, fitness, social skills, stress management, attitudes toward violence and abuse, sexuality, reproductive health, life transitions, and career guidance. Outcomes such as hygiene, sleep, weight, exercise, social competence, and study skills were assessed. Scores were analyzed using mean ± SD, with differences between groups evaluated via Student's t-test (p < 0.05).

Results

The trained group demonstrated significantly higher scores in most variables compared to the control group, as shown in the table below:

Variables of Life Skills	Trained (Mean ± SD)	Untrained (Mean ± SD)	t-test, d.f., p-value
Value of health	6.2 ± 2.3	4.9 ± 3.5	t=2.5, d.f.=118, p=0.025
Dietary habits	5.1 ± 2.5	3.9 ± 2.5	t=2.6, d.f.=118, p=0.025
Fitness for life	4.8 ± 1.2	3.7 ± 2.2	t=3.5, d.f.=118, p=0.001
Social skill	7.3 ± 3.1	6.1 ± 2.7	t=2.2, d.f.=118, p=0.04
Management of stress	8.9 ± 3.4	7.1 ± 3.2	t=2.9, d.f.=118, p=0.025
Attitude toward abuse, harassment, bullying, and rape	8.7 ± 2.7	6.1 ± 3.3	t=4.7, d.f.=118, p=0.001
Violence	1.9 ± 0.5	0.8 ± 0.7	t=10.4, d.f.=118, p=0.001
Sex and sexuality	5.2 ± 2.7	4.9 ± 2.4	t=0.6, d.f.=118, p=0.2
Reproductive health	3.5 ± 2.8	2.7 ± 2.4	t=1.6, d.f.=118, p=0.1
Life transition	3.7 ± 1.7	2.8 ± 2.1	t=2.5, d.f.=118, p=0.03
Career guidance	7.2 ± 4.1	6.4 ± 3.8	t=2.5, d.f.=118, p=0.03

Discussion

The study highlights the absence of a structured school mental health program in Iraq, with only limited counseling services available. Life skills training significantly improved social skills, self-esteem, and attitudes toward abuse and violence, indicating its role in enhancing psychosocial competence. However, no significant improvements were observed in sex and sexuality or reproductive health, possibly due to cultural differences, program content variations, or the short duration of the training. These findings align with global studies emphasizing the role of life skills in preventing mental and physical illnesses.

Conclusion

Life skills training positively influenced adolescents' health values, dietary habits, fitness, social skills, stress management, and attitudes toward abuse and violence. It offers a promising approach for promoting mental and physical health in Iraqi adolescents.

Authors' Contributions

• Aysin Kamal: Data collection and study conception
• Eman A. Al-Kaseer: Study design and data analysis
• Suhair Aljubori: Drafting and manuscript preparation
• Jawad K. Al-Diwan: Data interpretation, analysis, and critical revision

References

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