The Effect of A Life Skills Education Program on Mental Health and Social Competencies Among Young Prisoners In Cambodia: An Intervention Study

Introduction: Numerous studies globally confirmed that young prisoners are more susceptible to mental health problems compared to adult prisoners and the general population. The lack of life skills has been reported as one of the main reasons for this vulnerability. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a life skills education program on mental health and life skills among young prisoners in Cambodia. Method: This is an intervention study, applying a ‘difference-in-difference’ analysis. The life skills education program was implemented to promote essential skills for mental health and social competence among young prisoners. Mental health and life skills competence were evaluated using the Youth Self-Report and Life Skills Development – Adolescent Form scales, respectively. Four prisons were selected from a total of 24 prisons in Cambodia, a post-conflict country in Southeast Asia. A total of 412 young prisoners aged 15–24 years participated in the study and were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. Results: Both the intervention and control groups reported decreased mental health problems (DiD=3.78, p=0.34) and improved life skills competencies (DiD=0.39, p=0.80) after the intervention; however, the differences were not statistically significant. Conclusion: The life skills intervention program had no significant effect on young prisoners’ mental health and life skills competencies. Further studies should be conducted to evaluate the impact of the life skills education program in the prison setting, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) such as Cambodia.