Initiating a Life Skills Module to Prevent Drug Abuse Among Indonesian Adolescents Using Social Cognitive Theory

Drug abuse among adolescents is a major public health concern. While life skills education is a recognized preventive strategy, existing national modules, such as Siaga Lawan Narkoba (SIGAB) 2.0 developed by the National Narcotics Board (BNN, Indonesia's national anti-narcotics agency), are primarily designed for peer facilitators and often emphasize information delivery over participatory skill development. Grounded in Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), this study aimed to initiate the development of a life skills module by identifying the essential skills needed by adolescents and adapting the national module to the local context to facilitate experiential learning.

A qualitative design was employed in three public senior high schools located in West Bandung Regency, Indonesia, classified as high-risk areas by BNN. Through purposive sampling, data were gathered from 13 participants (seven adolescents, four teachers, and two drug abuse prevention counselors) via in-depth interviews and document review. The newly developed module validated by five experts in adolescent psychology, education, drug abuse prevention, language, and media. Interview and document data were analyzed thematically, and expert validation scores were analyzed descriptively.

Thematic analysis identified five essential life skills: self-awareness, emotional regulation, stress management, effective communication, and interpersonal relationship building. These findings informed the development of an improved module featuring simple language, engaging visuals, and interactive methods such as role-play and group discussions. Expert validation confirmed feasibility, with scores ranging from 68% to 92%, indicating readiness for refinement and pilot implementation.

This study identified the essential life skills for adolescent drug abuse prevention and developed a draft SCT-based module emphasizing experiential learning through interactive and participatory methods. Validation outcomes demonstrated strong implementation potential, suggesting readiness for further pilot testing within school-based health programs.