Effect of Life Skills Training on the Quality of Life and General Health of Health Care Providers

Life skills are sets of abilities that provide the basis for adaptive and positive behavior. Although there are several studies confirming the effectiveness of life skill training on the quality of life and mental health of females, no research evidence is observed on this issue among the Iranian health care providers. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effect of life skills training on the quality of life and general health of health care providers.

This semi-experimental study was conducted based on the pretest-post-test design with a control group. The study population was selected from health care providers in health homes of Mobarakeh and Lenjan, Iran, and they were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. In the pretest, both groups completed the quality of life and general health questionnaires. Subsequently, the experimental group received five 90minute life skills training sessions (10 skills). After two months, the groups were asked again to complete the questionnaires. The data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 20) through the Chi-square test, independent t-test, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression.

After two months of intervention, there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups regarding the total scores of the quality of life and its dimensions (P<0.05). Moreover, a remarkable difference was observed in the experimental group in terms of the quality of life before and after the intervention. Furthermore, there was a significant decrease in the levels of disorders regarding the general health of the experimental group after the intervention. Additionally, a reverse relationship was found between the disorders in general health of the health care providers and their quality of life with its dimensions (P<0.05).

According to the results of this study, life skills training and raising the awareness of individuals can have a positive effect on all aspects of the individuals' life, particularly, their quality of life and general health. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the efficacy of the training sessions in which different educational methods are utilized with variations in teaching techniques.