Effectiveness of Sex Education Program on Mental Health and Self-Care Development of First-Year High School Students

Qarabaghi, Shahrazad; Kian, Marjan; Magdassin, Maryam

doi:10.22055/psy.2024.44824.3118

Effectiveness of Sex Education Program on Mental Health and Self-Care Development of First-Year High School Students

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

Shahrazad Qarabaghi ¹

Marjan Kian ²

Maryam Magdassin ³

¹ MA Student in Curriculum Planning, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Khwarazmi University, Karaj, Iran

² Associate Professor, Department of Curriculum Planning, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Kharazmi University, Karaj, Iran

³ Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Kharazmi University, Karaj, Iran

10.22055/psy.2024.44824.3118

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a sexual education curriculum on mental health and development of self-care among lower secondary school students. The research adopted a quantitative, quasi-experimental design. The statistical population consisted of students from public lower secondary schools in District 1 of Karaj city. Using convenience sampling, 30 seventh-grade female students were selected from a public school and assigned into two groups of 15 (experimental and control). The research instruments included three questionnaires: the Moghadessin Mental Health Questionnaire (2022), the Javidan Self-Care Questionnaire (2017), and a researcher-made checklist designed to appraise the effectiveness of the intervention program. The study was undertaken using a pre-test and post-test design with experimental and control groups. Data were analyzed using multivariate and univariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA and ANCOVA). The findings revealed that the sexual education curriculum had a statistically significant impact on some components of mental health at the level of p < 0.01. Further, in the dimensions of self-care (physical, social, and spiritual), the sexual education program exhibited a significant effect on development of emotional, psychological, and physical self-care (p < 0.01). Also, the significant difference between the post-test scores of the experimental group compared to the control group demonstrated the effectiveness of the sexual education intervention program. Based on the findings, it is recommended that educational policymakers design a sexual education curriculum grounded in an Islamic-indigenous approach as well as based on the philosophical, social, and cultural foundations of Iran. They can also formally incorporate it as an essential educational and cultural skill in schools so that students can be protected from unintended and hidden social harms.

Keywords

Curriculum of sex education

mental health

self-care

first year of high school

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