Effectiveness of Life Skills Programme on Adolescent Mental Health in Coimbatore, India

Problem statement: Adolescent mental health is a critical public health issue in India, with high prevalence of inadequacies and a lack of rigorously evaluated, culturally tailored school-based interventions. Methodology: This quasi experimental, time-series study (O1→X→O2→O3→O4) assessed an 8-week (4 hours/week) life skills programme among 200 adolescents (aged 12-16) in Coimbatore. The intervention was based on the WHO’s ten life skills. Mental health characteristics were measured across five domains using a validated 80-item scale at pre-test, post-test, and two follow-ups. Findings: A statistically significant and very large improvement in overall mental health scores was observed (mean gain = 18.53, 95% CI: 17.98 to 19.08; F(1,199)=3872.54, p<.001, Cohen's d=6.28). All five domains improved significantly (p<.001), with the familial domain showing the largest effect (ηₚ²=0.97). Female and older adolescents (14-15 years) showed greater improvement. Applications: The findings strongly support integrating life skills-based mental health programmes into school curricula in India, with gender-sensitive adaptations and targeted social skills modules.