The Impact of a Physical Education Program on Personal and Social Responsibility and Mental Health among High-School Students

Background: Within the framework of the school curriculum, physical education (PE) serves as a vital component, offering children and adolescents the chance to cultivate essential motor, cognitive, and social skills that are integral to their growth during their school years and beyond. This study aimed to investigate the impact of a PE program on personal and social responsibility and mental health among adolescents.Methods: This study used a quasi-experimental framework featuring both pretest and posttest measures, along with a control group. The study population comprised male high school students aged 15 to 18 from Golestan Province, Iran, in 2024. A total of forty participants were chosen through convenience sampling and randomly allocated to either the experimental or control groups, with each group containing 20 participants, determined by a random number table. To assess the variables of the study, the Personal and Social Responsibility Questionnaire (PSRQ) and the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS-21) were employed. The intervention involved a blend of physical activity and responsibility exercises, conducted over a span of three months (12 weeks). Data analysis was performed using paired and independent t-tests via SPSS version 27.Results: The findings indicated a notable disparity in personal responsibilities (43.01±3.52 as compared with 31.67±4.76, P<0.001) and social responsibilities (40.82±3.84 versus 33.17±6.35, P<0.001) between the experimental and control groups following the intervention. Additionally, significant differences were identified in mental health indicators, including depression (11.55±1.84 versus 15.15±0.48, P<0.001), anxiety (9.40±2.79 compared with 11.55±2.43, P=0.014), and stress (17.85±4.45 compared with 22.35±3.81, P=0.001) between the two groups in the post-intervention assessment.Conclusions: The findings facilitated systematic advancement concerning the objectives of value education, creating a series of daily programs and group sessions that enable adolescents to assess personal growth, limitations, self-reflection, and mental health.