The Effects of Mental Health Education on the Happiness of 6th-Grade Female Students: An Interventional Study

Background: Adolescent mental health needs, particularly among girls, are of utmost importance and encompass social, behavioral, emotional, and cognitive aspects. The objective of this study was, then, to evaluate the impact of mental health education on the happiness of sixth-grade female students. Methods: In this controlled interventional research, the statistical population included 6th-grade female students in Sarakhs City during 2021-2022. 44 female students were selected by the available sampling method and placed into two intervention and control groups with 22 participants in each group. The interventional group underwent 7 sessions of mental health training, while the control group did not intervene. The Oxford Argyle et al. (1989) happiness questionnaire was used and SPSS 25 software was implemented for data analysis using the multivariate covariance analysis (MANCOVA) to measure the desired variables. Results: According to the results, there was a significant difference, in the post-test, between the interventional and control groups in the examined components, indicating that mental health education has a positive impact on students’ happiness (f = 37.30). Also, the results showed statistically significant differences, in the post-test, between the two groups in the positive mood component (F37,1= 8.26; P 0.05), efficiency (F37,1= 12.58; P 0.05), satisfaction (F37,1= 21.82; P 0.05), health (F37,1= 12.99; P 0.05), and self-esteem (F37,1= 6.78; P 0.05). Conclusion: According to the results, the mental health education program was effective in female students and can potentially improve education and quality of life. Therefore, it is recommended to implement mental health training programs for students at other educational levels and in the form of skills training.