Impact of Life Skills Training Programme on Quality of Life among Children Residing at Selected Residential Centers

Abstract

Family plays a pivotal role in providing favorable social environment to enhance the quality of life (QoL) among children. Children living in residential care centers are emotionally disturbed; they frequently have been physically abused, are prone to violent behavior and face lots of psychosocial challenges, which affect their normal growth and development. Subsequently, the services delivered at most of the residential centers are inappropriate. They do not satisfy the minimum requirements of the children and cause various problems, including anxiety, poor personal and social adjustment, and low self-esteem. But being in residential centers and separation from their families makes the children more vulnerable to psychosocial issues. Studies have shown that children who live in residential facilities have a lower quality of life than children who live with their families. Successful implementation of life skills education program have shown significant improvement in psychosocial well-being like a significant improvement on happiness, quality of life, and emotion regulation among children. Hence, it was felt that there was a need for enhancement of quality of life among children residing in selected residential care facilities, through life skills approach.

Material & Methods:

A quantitative approach and Pretest-posttest research design was adopted for this study. The study was carried out in Tamil Nadu at five chosen Residential Centers. Children residing in residential centers and aged from twelve to eighteen years old were selected. Sample consists of children living in five specific residential centers in Tamil Nadu, the total sample drawn were 120. Simple random selection technique was employed to choose the 120 children from the designated residential centers. In this study, simple random sampling technique was used to assign the children in interventional group (60) and control group (60). To assess the quality of life, data were gathered using a Demographic data sheet developed by the researcher and the WHO Quality of Life-BREF scale was used. The intervention package for the current study was developed based on these two modules (Sekar et al., 2008 and Vranda M.N, 2015). Pretest was conducted using the selected tools for both the groups. The Interventional group thereafter received life skill training programme (LSTP), 4 hours sessions daily for 5 days. Subsequently, post-intervention data was gathered using the same tools at end of the first week, first month, third, and sixth month after the Life Skill Training Programme.

Results:

In the Interventional group, the pretest total score of quality of life was found to be 92.1±12.7 and 86.77±12.7 in the control group. The posttest Mean±SD of quality of life in the Interventional group was 98.9±12.6 and in control group 84.1±11.6, respectively. Between the group (F-73.9; p<0.001) and with-in group (F-5.8; p<0.001) revealed that there was a significant increase in the total scores of the QoL among the children in Interventional group. The findings revealed that there was a significant difference between the five levels of assessments on overall quality of life (F=5.8, p<0.001), Physical health (F=2.9, p<0.05), and Environment (F=5.0, p<0.001) of the children in Interventional group than in control group. The children in the Interventional group possess higher quality life and better physical health and adapt well to their environment.

Conclusion:

The quality of life of the children in interventional group was significantly improved from the baseline to four follow up assessments. It was concluded that implementation of life skills training programme and if the children practice it regularly in due course of time the children can attain sense of well-being.