Effectiveness of Life Skills Training on Mental Health and Academic Achievement of Adolescents Under Hemodialysis

Introduction: Adolescents on hemodialysis are faced with problems of mental health and academic failure; therefore, this study aimed to determine the effectiveness of life skills training on mental health and academic achievement of adolescents under hemodialysis. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted on 80 adolescents under hemodialysis in dialysis centers of Imam Khomeini and Imam Reza hospitals of Kermanshah by convenience sampling method; then the samples were randomly divided into intervention (n=40) and control (n=40) groups. Data collection tool was the standard questionnaire of mental health and in relation to academic achievement, students’ Grade Point Average (GPA) was used. Data were analyzed using SPSS 16 and Chi-square, the independent  t test and the paired sample t tests. Results: In the intervention group, the mean scores of anxiety (10.37±5.44), depression (15.43±7.34), physical complaints (8.99 ± 6.18), significantly decreased into (6.71±2.82), (11.23±2.87) and (4.82±2.24) respectively (P<0.05), and social activities score increased from (12.29±5.41) to (16.27±6.67) scores (P>0.05). The students’ GPA, before intervention (15.02 ± 2.09) compared with the results after intervention (16.72±1.13) significantly increased (P<0.05). Conclusion: This study indicated that life skills training can promote the different dimensions of mental health and academic achievement of adolescents under hemodialysis. In this regard, it is suggested that the plan of lifestyle training should be considered during the treatment of adolescent under dialysis.