Health Promotion Intervention : with Emphasis on Existential Aspects of Quality of Life for Adolescents

• Objectives:This presentation introduces a health promotion initiative emphasising existential issues related to spiritual,religious and personal beliefs [SRPB], undertaken in a Swedish upper secondary school.Background:International research shows that the existential domain accounts for an important part of variation in healthrelatedquality of life [HRQL]. Such findings are worthy of attention in countries like Sweden, which areexperiencing increased mental health problems in adolescents, and where traditional arenas for existentialissues, such as religion and politics, play decreasing roles in everyday life for young people. In 2002, WHOintroduced an instrument for measuring HRQL comprising physical, psychological, levels of independence,social relationship, environmental, and SRPB facets (WHOQOL-SRPB). The BREF versions of the instrumentwere developed from this, with 32 items.Material & Methods:120 students were involved. 45 were selected in three intervention groups with additional school staff, whichmet once a week for eight weeks. Tools were developed to facilitate the participants’ thoughts, feelings andactions regarding issues related to the eight existential SRPB aspects in WHOQOL-SRPB: Spiritualconnection, Meaning and purpose in life, Experience of awe and wonder, Wholeness and integration, Spiritualstrength, Inner peace, Hope and optimism, and Faith. The promotion included cards for staff-supervised groupdiscussions related to existential issues. Interim tasks were also distributed between the meetings that focusedon each theme. The control groups continued with student centred conversations as normal, during the time.Results & Conclusion:A mixed-method evaluation follows the classic before and after design with control groups. Qualitative datawas generated from focus groups with students and staff, and quantitative data was based on a modified andpsychometrically tested adolescent version of the WHOQOL-SRPB BREF instrument. This presentation willfocus on the basis of the intervention procedures, including the tools related to the existential domaindeveloped for this intervention.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Health Promotion

Intervention

Adolescents

Existential

Quality of life

Hälso- och sjukvårdsforskning

Health Care Research

Religionspsykologi

Psychology of Religion

Social Medicine

Socialmedicin

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kon (subject category)