Volume 24, Issue 9 (12-2025)
JRUMS 2025, 24(9): 807-820 |
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Ethics code: IR.IAU.A.REC.1402.036
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Jowkar M, Kamali S, Mottaghi R. The Effectiveness of Life Skills Training on Emotion Regulation Strategies and Psychological Well-Being in Children and Adolescents of Divorce: A Semi-Experimental Study. JRUMS 2025; 24 (9) :807-820
URL: http://journal.rums.ac.ir/article-1-7784-en.html
URL: http://journal.rums.ac.ir/article-1-7784-en.html
Zand Institute of Higher Education, Shiraz
Abstract: (21 Views)
Background and Objectives: Divorce is an adverse event that can lead to significant psychological distress, exacerbating inefficiency and difficulties in emotional regulation and psychological well-being. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of life skills training on emotion regulation strategies and psychological well-being in children and adolescents of divorced families.
Materials and Methods: This semi-experimental study employed a pretest–posttest design with a control group. The statistical population included 30 children and adolescents of divorced families in Arsanjan, Iran, in 2023 who were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups (15 participants each). The experimental group received 10 sessions of 90-minute life skills training, while the control group received no intervention; after the study, an educational package was provided to the control group. Data were collected using the Emotion Regulation Strategies Questionnaire (Gross & John, 2003) and the Psychological Well-Being Questionnaire (Ryff, 1980) and analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA).
Results: The results showed that life skills training had a significant effect on emotion regulation (F=16.24, p<0.001, η²=0.38) and psychological well-being (F=236.27, p<0.001, η²=0.89) of divorced children and adolescents.
Conclusion: The current study demonstrated that life skills training is an effective intervention for improving emotion regulation and enhancing psychological well-being in children and adolescents of divorced families. It is therefore recommended to implement life skills training to reduce psychological problems in children and adolescents from divorced and non-divorced families.
Keywords: Life skills, Emotion regulation, Psychological well-being, Children of divorce
Funding: This study did not have any funds.
Conflict of interest: None declared.
Ethical considerations: The Ethics Committee of Islamic Azad University, Arsanjan Branch, approved the study (IR.IAU.A.REC. 1402.036).
Authors’ contributions:
- Conceptualization: Maryam Jowkar
- Methodology: Maryam Jowkar
- Data collection: Shahrzad Kamali
- Formal analysis: Reza Mottaghi
- Supervision: Reza Mottaghi
- Project administration: Reza Mottaghi
- Writing – original draft: Shahrzad Kamali
- Writing – review & editing: Reza Mottaghi
Materials and Methods: This semi-experimental study employed a pretest–posttest design with a control group. The statistical population included 30 children and adolescents of divorced families in Arsanjan, Iran, in 2023 who were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups (15 participants each). The experimental group received 10 sessions of 90-minute life skills training, while the control group received no intervention; after the study, an educational package was provided to the control group. Data were collected using the Emotion Regulation Strategies Questionnaire (Gross & John, 2003) and the Psychological Well-Being Questionnaire (Ryff, 1980) and analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA).
Results: The results showed that life skills training had a significant effect on emotion regulation (F=16.24, p<0.001, η²=0.38) and psychological well-being (F=236.27, p<0.001, η²=0.89) of divorced children and adolescents.
Conclusion: The current study demonstrated that life skills training is an effective intervention for improving emotion regulation and enhancing psychological well-being in children and adolescents of divorced families. It is therefore recommended to implement life skills training to reduce psychological problems in children and adolescents from divorced and non-divorced families.
Keywords: Life skills, Emotion regulation, Psychological well-being, Children of divorce
Funding: This study did not have any funds.
Conflict of interest: None declared.
Ethical considerations: The Ethics Committee of Islamic Azad University, Arsanjan Branch, approved the study (IR.IAU.A.REC. 1402.036).
Authors’ contributions:
- Conceptualization: Maryam Jowkar
- Methodology: Maryam Jowkar
- Data collection: Shahrzad Kamali
- Formal analysis: Reza Mottaghi
- Supervision: Reza Mottaghi
- Project administration: Reza Mottaghi
- Writing – original draft: Shahrzad Kamali
- Writing – review & editing: Reza Mottaghi
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Citation: Jowkar M, Kamali Sh, Mottaghi R. The Effectiveness of Life Skills Training on Emotion Regulation Strategies and Psychological Well-Being in Children and Adolescents of Divorce: A Semi-Experimental Study. J Rafsanjan Univ Med Sci 2025; 24 (9): 807-20. [Farsi]
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Community Medicine
Received: 2025/07/19 | Accepted: 2025/11/3 | Published: 2025/12/19
Received: 2025/07/19 | Accepted: 2025/11/3 | Published: 2025/12/19
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2. Helander M, Asperholm M, Wetterborg D. The efficacy of parent management training with or without involving the child in the treatment among children with clinical levels of disruptive behavior: A meta-analysis. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2024; 55(1): 164-81.
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11. Serkan E, Gulseren D, Ozlem A. The effect of stress management training on perceived stress, interactive skills and emotional safety regulation among women. J Obstet Gynaecol 2022; 42(1): 17-22.
12. Te Brinke LW, Menting ATA, Schuiringa HD, Deković M, Weisz JR, de Castro BO. Emotion regulation training as a treatment element for externalizing problems in adolescence: A randomized controlled micro-trial. Behav Res Ther 2021; 143: 103889.
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28. Kazeminava H, Seifi S, Rouhani Otaghsara M, Sagheb Tabrizi M, Hamidian MS. The effect of life skills training on nonclinical depression and acute stress syndrome in people recovering from COVID-19 disease. Razi J Med Sci 2023; 30: 130. [Farsi]
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30. Martin CA, Papadopoulos N, Chellew T, Rinehart NJ, Sciberras E. Associations between parenting stress, parent mental health and child sleep problems for children with ADHD and ASD: Systematic review. Res Dev Disabil 2019; 93: 103463.
31. Helander M, Asperholm M, Wetterborg D. The efficacy of parent management training with or without involving the child in the treatment among children with clinical levels of disruptive behavior: A meta-analysis. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2024; 55(1): 164-81.
32. Sharma SR, Gonda X, Dome P, Tarazi FI. What's love got to do with it: Role of oxytocin in trauma, attachment and resilience. Pharmacol Ther 2020; 214: 107602.
33. Statistical Yearbook of the Welfare Organization. Tehran: Welfare Organization of Iran; 2023. [Farsi]
34. Ragni B, Boldrini F, Mangialavori S, Cacioppo M, Capurso M, De Stasio S. The efficacy of parent training interventions with parents of children with developmental disabilities. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19(15): 9685.
35. Yang Z. Does procrastination always predict lower life satisfaction? A study on the moderation effect of self-regulation in China and the United Kingdom. Front Psychol 2021; 12: 690838.
36. Bohlmeijer ET, Westerhof GJ. A new model for sustainable mental health: Integrating well-being into psychological treatment. In: Kirby JN, Gilbert P, editors. Making an Impact on Mental Health: The Applications of Psychological Research. 1st ed. London: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group; 2021. p. 153-88.
37. Farokhnejad A, Mohammadi R, Khoshandi Yamchi A. Evaluation of the effectiveness of life skills training in prisons. Social Order Quarterly 2020; 12(4): 169-98. [Farsi]
38. Azadi S, Bazvand L. The effectiveness of life skills training on psychological well-being and self-actualization of physically disabled individuals in Kuhdasht city. J Appl Psychol 2020; 14(4): 905-20. [Farsi]
39. Ansar N, Nissen Lie HA, Stiegler JR. The effects of emotion-focused skills training on parental mental health, emotion regulation and self-efficacy: Mediating processes between parents and children. Psychother Res 2024; 34(4): 518-37.
40. Serkan E, Gulseren D, Ozlem A. The effect of stress management training on perceived stress, interactive skills and emotional safety regulation among women. J Obstet Gynaecol 2022; 42(1): 17-22.
41. Te Brinke LW, Menting ATA, Schuiringa HD, Deković M, Weisz JR, de Castro BO. Emotion regulation training as a treatment element for externalizing problems in adolescence: A randomized controlled micro-trial. Behav Res Ther 2021; 143: 103889.
42. Asgharpour Lashkami Z, Asaseh M, Kashani Vahid L, Ebrahimpour M. Developing early intervention program based on cognitive-behavioral theory in children of divorce with emotional-behavioral disorders and its effectiveness on social adjustment of children of divorce: a descriptive study. J Rafsanjan Univ Med Sci 2024; 22(11): 1133-48. [Farsi]
43. Zarein F, Sedrpooshan N, Bidaki R, Fallah Yakhdani M. Developing a tropical model of empowering teenagers and measuring its effectiveness on social adaptation and future orientation of teenagers with parental divorce experience. J Rafsanjan Univ Med Sci 2025; 24(4): 330-45. [Farsi]
44. Gao J, McLellan R. Using Ryff’s scales of psychological well-being in adolescents in mainland China. BMC Psychol 2018; 6(1): 17.
45. Junghänel M, Ravens-Sieberer U, Kaman A, Otto C. Validation of a new emotion regulation self-report questionnaire for children (FRUST). BMC Psychiatry 2022; 22(1): 622.
46. Statistical Center of Iran. Results of the 2016 National Population and Housing Census [Internet]. Tehran: Statistical Center of Iran; 2016. [Farsi]
47. Delavar A. Research Methods in Psychology and Education. 5th ed. Tehran: Virayesh Publishing; 2023. p. 250-67. [Farsi]
48. Fanayi S, Zare H, Rahmanian M, Safariniya M. Comparing the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on cognitive flexibility, perceived stress, quality of treatment adherence and (A1C) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Soc Cogn 2022; 10(2): 95-114. [Farsi]
49. Gross M, John K. Emotional regulation strategies. Int J Manag Educ 2003; 17(2): 182-90.
50. Moqaddam Asl A. The effectiveness of life skills training in the cognitive-behavioral approach on improving communication skills and emotional cognitive regulation in adolescents with behavioral disorders in Bojnourd. [Master’s thesis]. Mashhad: Mashhad University; 2022. [Farsi]
51. Moradi K, Dehghani A, Ghamarani A, Gorji Y. The effectiveness of Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy on emotion regulation in adolescents with emotional-behavioral problems in Isfahan. J Health Promot Manag 2025; 14(3): 106-18. [Farsi]
52. Ryff CD. Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being. J Pers Soc Psychol 1989; 57(6): 1069-81.
53. Beyani Z. The effectiveness of schema therapy on social connection and psychological well-being of the elderly. [Master’s thesis]. Mashhad: Mashhad University; 2008; 68-89. [Farsi]
54. Aghah Harris M, Heydari R, Najimi A. The effectiveness of progressive stress relief training on pain intensity and psychological well-being in patients with multiple sclerosis. J Health Promot Manag. 2025; 14(2): 1-13. [Farsi]
55. UNICEF. Life Skills Education: A Guide for Planning, Implementing, and Evaluating. New York: UNICEF; 2015.
56. Nasheeda A, Abdullah HB, Krauss SE, Ahmed NB. A narrative systematic review of life skills education: effectiveness, research gaps and priorities. Int J Adolesc Youth 2018; 24(3): 362-79.
57. Kazeminava H, Seifi S, Rouhani Otaghsara M, Sagheb Tabrizi M, Hamidian MS. The effect of life skills training on nonclinical depression and acute stress syndrome in people recovering from COVID-19 disease. Razi J Med Sci 2023; 30: 130. [Farsi]
58.
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