Abstract
Aim: Adolescence is a time of transition from childhood to adulthood, when young people go through a number of vital physical and psychological developments. It is surprising yet unfortunate that the number of teenage suicide deaths and teenage infections of gonorrhea have increased over the years, becoming serious public health concerns in Taiwan. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of an education course on teenagers' understanding of adolescence and their attitudes toward life, sex, gender equality, and mental health.Material and Methods: Participants were comprised of Taiwanese students in Grades 5 to 9 who completed a Life–Sex–Emotions course, titled “Sailing through Adolescence.” The effect of the course was measured using pre- and post-test scores on the Perception Index of Life–Sex–Emotions Education (PILSEE) instrument. Qualitative data included subjective responses to questions before and after the course. Data were collected between September 2017 and June 2020.Results: A total of 10,506 completed questionnaires were collected. The mean PILSEE pretest scores for each subscale ranged from 8.71 to 13.37 (SD = 1.499–1.99); posttest subscale scores ranged from 9.30 to 13.95 (SD range = 1.490–2.288). The mean overall pretest score was 86.86 (SD = 10.83); the mean posttest score was 92.62 (SD = 10.30). The paired t-test demonstrated that post-test scores were significantly higher than pretest scores (t = 55.46; p < 0.01). Qualitative feedback indicated that the course improved students' self-esteem, their understanding adolescence, and awareness of influences of the media.Conclusion: Our findings indicate that an educational course about life, sex, and emotions during adolescence can be an effective intervention to help teenagers understand the impact of adolescence on attitudes toward life, sex, mental health, and gender equality.
Highlights
Adolescence is a significant transitional stage between childhood and adulthood [1]
Our findings indicate that an educational course about life, sex, and emotions during adolescence can be an effective intervention to help teenagers understand the impact of adolescence on attitudes toward life, sex, mental health, and gender equality
Gender Role (p < 0.05), and Friendship and Love (p < 0.01). These findings indicate that the education course had a more significant effect on boys’ attitudes toward adolescence in these three areas
Summary
Adolescence is a significant transitional stage between childhood and adulthood [1]. Teenage suicides have risen in Taiwan at an alarming rate. The number of suicide deaths among adolescents under the age of 14 years has increased from 2 to 10 per year between 2014 and 2019, and for adolescents between the ages of 15 and 24 years it increased from 161 to 257 during the same period [4]. The suicide death rate of adolescents in 2019 reached a 10-year high. The common causes for teenage suicides in Taiwan were “a lack of meaning or value of life” and “to escape from or avoid pain” [5, 6]
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