Effect of Spiritual-Based Educational Intervention on the Mental Health of Student Health Ambassadors

Abstract

Aims: Stress, depression and anxiety are the most common disorders in adolescence. Given the positive effect of spirituality on mental health, the aim of present study was to investigate the effect of spirituality-based educational intervention on mental health in female student health ambassadors. Materials & Methods: This semi-experimental study was performed on 39 female student health ambassadors of the first high schools in Tehran (18 subjects in the experimental group and 21 subjects in the control group) in 2020, who were selected by multistage cluster sampling method. The research instruments were the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scales (DASS 21) and the Parsian and Dunning Spirituality Questionnaire. After pre-test in two groups, spirituality-based educational intervention was conducted in the experimental group. 45 days after the intervention, post-test was performed in both groups and the data were analyzed by SPSS 20 software using Chi-square test, independent t-test, paired t-test and multivariate analysis of covariance. Findings: Despite the relative improvement, there was no significant differences between the mean scores of spirituality, stress, anxiety and depression in the two groups after the intervention (p>0.05), but the mean score of component of spiritual needs had significant increase in experimental group after the intervention compared to before intervention (p=0.043). Conclusions: Despite the lack of significant effect of spirituality-based educational intervention on increasing spirituality and reducing stress, anxiety and depression in student health ambassadors, but because the changes occurred in the group of healthy adolescents (physically and mentally), it considerable.

Keywords

• stress
• anxiety
• depression
• spirituality
• adolescent