20, April 2025

Navigating Minds: How Life Skills Shape Mental Health in Indian Youth

Author(s): 1 Md Waqar Shabbir, 2 Prof.(Dr.) Md Faiz Ahmad, 3 Dr. Ansarul Hasan

Authors Affiliations:

1Research scholar, MANUU CTE Darbhanga, Bihar

2Professor & Principal, MANUU CTE Darbhanga, Bihar

3Associate Professor, MANUU CTE Nuh, Haryana

DOIs:10.2015/IJIRMF/202504033     |     Paper ID: IJIRMF202504033


Abstract
Keywords
Cite this Article/Paper as
References

Abstract:    This study examines the relationship between life skills proficiency and mental health outcomes among Indian adolescents, exploring how socio-economic status (SES) and gender moderate this relationship. Using a quantitative approach, data from 250 adolescents (132 boys and 118 girls) aged 13–18 years were analyzed through structured surveys assessing essential life skills, mental health, types of School, and gender. Results indicate a Strong significant positive correlation between life skills proficiency and mental health scores. Types of School and gender were found to not  moderate this relationship, with higher facilities based School  enhancing positive outcomes and gender demonstrating differential impacts. The findings highlight the need for targeted life skills education programs to promote mental well-being across Types of School and gender divides in India.

 
Key Words: Life skills, mental health, socio-economic status, gender, adolescents, India.

Md Waqar Shabbir,  Prof.(Dr.) Md Faiz Ahmad,  Dr. Ansarul Hasan(2025); Navigating Minds: How Life Skills Shape Mental Health in Indian Youth,  International Journal for Innovative Research in Multidisciplinary Field, ISSN(O): 2455-0620, Vol-11, Issue-4, Pp.          Available on –   https://www.ijirmf.com/

  1. Banerjee, R., Grover, S., & Chakrabarti, S. (2016). Life skills education for school children: Impact on mental health and self-esteem. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 58(2), 244–249. https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5545.183796
  2. Botvin, G. J., & Griffin, K. W. (2014). Life skills training: Preventing substance misuse by enhancing individual and social competence. New Directions for Youth Development, 2014(141), 57–65. https://doi.org/10.1002/yd.20083
  3. Choudhury, P. (2016). Caste-based discrimination and mental health outcomes in Indian adolescents. Journal of Adolescence, 49, 153–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2016.02.002
  4. Compas, B. E.,. (2017). Coping, emotion regulation, and psychopathology in childhood and adolescence: A meta-analysis and narrative review. Psychological Bulletin, 143(9), 939–991. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000110
  5. Cottrell, A. B. (2018). Intercultural adaptation and resilience among international school students. International Journal of Educational Development, 60, 109–119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2017.09.008
  6. Cutler, D. M., & Lleras-Muney, A. (2010). Understanding differences in health behaviors by education. Journal of Health Economics, 29(1), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2009.10.003
  7. Darden, C., Ginter, E. J., & Gazda, G. M. (1996). Life Skills Development Scale-Adolescent Form: The theoretical and therapeutic rationale. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 18(2), 142–163.
  8. Deb, S., Strodl, E., & Sun, J. (2015). Academic stress, parental pressure, anxiety and mental health among Indian high school students. International Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, 5(1), 26–34. https://doi.org/10.5923/j.ijpbs.20150501.04
  9. Durlak, J. A., et.al (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01564.x
  10. Goldberg, D. P., & Hillier, V. F. (1979). A scaled version of the General Health Questionnaire. Psychological Medicine, 9(1), 139–145. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291700021644
  11. Goodman, E. (2015). The role of socio-economic status in adolescent health behaviors and outcomes. Annual Review of Public Health, 36, 103–124. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031914-122932
  12. Gupta, R., & Sharma, A. (2022). Educational disparities in India: Role of school types in shaping student outcomes. Education and Society, 45(3), 217–232.
  13. Hayden, M., & Thompson, J. (2013). International schools: Growth and influence. Educational Research, 55(2), 125–140. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131881.2013.801901
  14. Hyde, J. S. (2014). Gender similarities and differences in adolescence: The gender similarities hypothesis. Journal of Adolescent Health, 54(1), 3–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2013.09.024
  15. Jain, P., & Singh, R. (2021). Resilience in Indian adolescents: The role of socio-economic status and school type. Asian Journal of Adolescent Research, 12(3), 45–57.
  16. Joshi, P. (2020). Life skills and mental health in multicultural school settings: A review. Journal of Education and Development, 24(1), 17–28.
  17. Kamble, V., & Murthy, S. (2020). Residential schools in India: Opportunities and challenges in adolescent development. Journal of Child Development, 39(1), 45–61.
  18. Kar, B. R., & Singh, A. (2015). Socioeconomic status and adolescent development: Understanding the pathways. Indian Journal of Social Psychiatry, 31(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.4103/0971-9962.166591
  19. Kaur, R., Kaur, A., & Sharma, R. (2015). Life skills education in Indian schools: Empowering adolescents. Asian Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities, 4(2), 46–54.
  20. Lillard, A. S. (2017). Montessori education and its effects on creativity and mental health. Journal of Educational Psychology, 109(6), 796–811. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000159
  21. Miller, R. (2007). The self-organizing mind: Life skills in alternative education. Cambridge University Press.
  22. Nasheeda, A., Abdullah, H., Krauss, S. E., & Ahmed, N. (2019). A narrative systematic review of life skills education: Effectiveness, research gaps and priorities. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 24(3), 362–379. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2018.1564911
  23. Patel, V., Flisher, A. J., Hetrick, S., & McGorry, P. (2007). Mental health of young people: A global public-health challenge. The Lancet, 369(9569), 1302–1313. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(07)60368-7
  24. Pathak, R., Sharma, P., & Kaur, J. (2019). Psychosocial stressors among adolescents in residential schools: A cross-sectional study. Indian Journal of Community Medicine, 44(1), 45–50. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_120_18
  25. Rani, P., & Singh, P. (2015). Gender differences in emotional intelligence and social skills: An empirical analysis among Indian adolescents. Indian Journal of Psychology, 30(2), 210–218.
  26. Reiss, F. (2013). Socioeconomic inequalities and mental health problems in children and adolescents: A systematic review. Social Science & Medicine, 90, 24–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.04.026
  27. Sarkar, S., & Menon, S. (2018). Stress and coping strategies among Indian adolescents: The role of academic pressure and social support. Journal of Indian Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 14(1), 15–28.
  28. Srivastava, A., & Singh, P. (2018). Life skills training in private schools: Impact on adolescent mental health. Indian Journal of Clinical Psychology, 45(3), 123–132.
  29. Srikala, B., & Kishore, K. K. (2010). Empowering adolescents with life skills education in schools – School mental health program: Does it work? Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 52(4), 344–349. https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5545.74310
  30. Taylor, R. D., Oberle, E., Durlak, J. A., & Weissberg, R. P. (2017). Promoting positive youth development through school-based social and emotional learning interventions: A meta-analysis of follow-up effects. Child Development, 88(4), 1156–1171. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12864
  31. Verma, S., & Saraswathi, T. S. (2002). Adolescence in India: Street urchins or Silicon Valley millionaires? In B. B. Brown, R. W. Larson, & T. S. Saraswathi (Eds.), The world’s youth: Adolescence in eight regions of the globe (pp. 105–140). Cambridge University Press.
  32. World Health Organization. (1997). Life skills education for children and adolescents in schools. WHO.

Download Full Paper

Download PDF No. of Downloads:5 | No. of Views: 76