From the Guidelines
A life skills visit is essentially an intervention aimed at enhancing psychological well-being through the development of personal characteristics and capabilities that increase chances of success and well-being in life. According to the study by Kubzansky et al. 1, life skills are part of a set of malleable personal characteristics and capabilities that can be developed through interventions. These interventions can be applied at various phases throughout the life course, including promoting healthy development, achieving favorable change in cardiovascular health components, and supporting palliative/end-of-life care.
Key Components of Life Skills Visits
- Mindfulness-based programs and positive psychological interventions are examples of life skills visits that directly target optimism, positive affect, and related constructs 1.
- These programs can include mindfulness-based stress reduction, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, and other mind-body techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, deep-breathing exercises, guided imagery, yoga, and tai chi.
- The goal of these interventions is to strengthen psychological well-being, which has been linked to improved cardiovascular health metrics and clinical endpoints 1.
Benefits of Life Skills Visits
- Life skills visits have been associated with improvements in depressive symptoms, anxiety, stress, quality of life, physical functioning, smoking cessation, healthy eating, and physical activity 1.
- Among persons with cardiac risk factors, mindfulness training has been associated with weight loss, disease self-management, and glucose control 1.
- In patients with existing heart disease, mindfulness-related interventions have led to benefits in physical and mental health-related quality of life, depression, anxiety, physical activity, and blood pressure 1.
Delivery of Life Skills Visits
- Life skills visits can be delivered through individual or small-group interventions, and can be led by a trained professional such as a social worker, occupational therapist, or life coach.
- These visits can be tailored to the individual's needs and can include hands-on guidance, education, and practice opportunities.
- The effectiveness of life skills visits stems from their personalized approach, allowing individuals to learn at their own pace in their natural environment, which facilitates better retention and application of skills 1.
From the Research
Definition of Life Skills Visit
There is no direct evidence in the provided studies to define a "life skills visit".
Related Concepts
However, the studies discuss related concepts such as:
- Health literacy, which is the ability of patients to understand and act on health information 2, 3, 4
- Patient education, which is a crucial aspect of healthcare that involves providing patients with the necessary knowledge and skills to manage their health 2, 3, 5
- Self-care management, which is an essential skill for patients to manage their health and make informed decisions 3, 4
Key Components of Health Literacy
The studies highlight the importance of health literacy and its key components, including:
- Knowledge and understanding of the condition 3
- Numeracy, which is the ability to understand and manipulate numbers 3
- Navigation, which is an understanding of what to do with the information 3
- Communication skills, including knowing what questions to ask and what information to share 3
- Decision making, which can include shared decision making 3
Strategies for Improving Health Literacy
The studies suggest strategies for improving health literacy, such as:
- Using universal health literacy precautions to provide understandable and accessible information to all patients 2
- Avoiding medical jargon and breaking down information into small concrete steps 2
- Assessing for comprehension by using the teach back cycle 2
- Providing personalized patient education handouts and verbal education by healthcare providers 5