SLIIT International Conference on Advancements in Science and Humanities [SICASH]
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SLIIT International Conference on Advancements in Science and Humanities is organized by the Faculty of Humanities and Sciences of the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), the annual research multi-conference of the faculty.
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Publication Open Access A Participatory Approach to Developing Adolescent Support Groups Focusing on Social Emotional Wellbeing: Lessons from a Community-Based Intervention Conducted in Gothamipura, Sri Lanka(School of Psychology. Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2025-10-10) Jayatilake, P; Gunawardana, R; Goonetilleke, NAdolescent mental health remains a growing concern in underserved urban communities in Sri Lanka. This study aimed to develop a culturally relevant support group model for adolescents in Gothamipura using a participatory approach. The objectives were to create a replicable context-sensitive intervention, enhancesocial-emotional wellbeing of participating adolescents, and offer a replicable framework for developing community-based psychosocial interventions in similar settings. The methodology involved two phases. The first phase involved focused group discussions and consultations with adolescents to understand social emotional focus areas. The second phase included designing sessions, pilot testing, and multiple feedbackand impact assessment sessions. A total of 26 sessions were conducted over 12 months, leading to the development of a support group model with 12 sessions. The model focused on three core areas: emotional awareness, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. Session content was refined iteratively basedon facilitator observations and participant feedback. Impact assessments showed improved understanding of emotions, greater awareness of distress tolerance strategies, and increased engagement in interpersonal skills, though comprehension levels varied among participants. The structured yet adaptable framework that emerged to develop the model highlights the importance of grounding psychosocial interventions inthe lived experiences of adolescents and incorporating continuous feedback throughout the development process. While the model showed promise, limitations included the absence of pre-post quantitative evaluation and challenges in sustaining the intervention beyond facilitator-led sessions. This study contributes to existing knowledge by demonstrating how participatory methods can support the design oflocally meaningful psychosocial programs for adolescents in low-resource, and marginalized settings.Publication Open Access The Most Influencing Factors for Cigarette Smoking Among Adolescents: A Systematic Review(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2023-11-01) Lakshmi, N.; Dasanayake, C. D. K.; De Silva, B. S. S.Cigarette smoking is a major public health problem in the world, and smoking leads to diseases and disabilities and harms nearly every organ of the body. All forms of cigarettes are harmful, and there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco. Nicotine is one of the toxic chemicals found in tobacco and can cause carcinomas. A significant number of students experimented for the first time with cigarette smoking in adolescence. Cigarette smoking during adolescence causes significant health problems, such as an increase in the number and severity of respiratory illnesses, decreased physical fitness, and potential effects on lung growth and function. The participants who smoked had poor academic performance, drank alcohol, were sexually active, and were more likely to smoke with other adolescents. This study aims to identify the most influencing factors for cigarette smoking among adolescents. This systematic review included literature from 2017 to 2022 through databases such as PUBMED, CINHAL, and MEDLINE. The review includes six studies that revealed the influencing personal, environmental, and community factors for cigarette smoking among adolescents through multivariate logistic regression and path analyses in several countries. The probability of smoking was found to be higher among adolescents with male gender, high body mass index, social anxiety, high grades, sufficient pocket money, and positive attitudes toward smoking. Peer smoking, secondhand smoking (SHS) exposure, smoker parents, free cigarettes from tobacco companies, the indigenous population, and parenting patterns were found as influencing factors to combat the threat of cigarette smoking among adolescents. To combat the threat of cigarette smoking among adolescents, gender- and culture-sensitive prevention programs are required.