Effectiveness of a Community-Based Mental Health Promotion Program for Older Adults in Reducing Depression Symptoms and Loneliness at Lat Lum Kaeo Hospital, Pathum Thani Province
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
This quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest study aimed to examine changes in depressive symptoms, loneliness, and quality of life following participation in the program of a community-based mental health promotion in reducing depression and loneliness among older adults at Lat Lum Kaeo Hospital, Pathum Thani Province. The sample consisted of 40 older adults with Thai Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (TGDS-15) scores of 5-11, selected by simple random sampling. Participants completed a 12-week program comprising four components: physical and mental health enhancement, emotional and stress management skill development, social network building, and promotion of meaning in life. Research instruments included the TGDS-15, a loneliness scale, and the Thai version of the WHOQOL-BREF quality of life measure. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired t-test. Finding reveal that following the 12-week intervention, the mean depression score decreased significantly from 6.3 (SD = 2.2) to 2.6 (SD = 2.3), (-4.9, 95% CI: -6.3, -3.6). Mean loneliness scores declined significantly from 65.7 (SD = 7.7) to 58.9 (SD=10.7) (MD=-6.8, 95% CI: -8.1, -5.6), while mean quality of life scores improved significantly from 88.4 (SD = 17.1) to 101.3 (SD = 14.9) (MD = 12.9, 95% CI: 11.5, 14.3). These preliminary findings support further controlled evaluation with a larger sample and longer-term follow-up before broader implementation is considered.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
References
National Statistical Office. Population statistics of Thailand. Bangkok: National Statistical Office; 2025. (In Thai)
World Health Organization. Mental health of older adults [Internet]. Geneva: WHO; 2023 [cited 2025]. Available from: https://www.who.int
Department of Mental Health. Depression in elderly: prevalence and guidelines. Bangkok: Department of Mental Health, Ministry of Public Health; 2025. (In Thai)
Department of Provincial Administration. Civil registration data: Lat Lum Kaeo District, Pathum Thani Province. Bangkok: Department of Provincial Administration, Ministry of Interior; 2024. (In Thai)
Health Data Center (HDC) Report System. (2025). Health Status Data. Retrieved from https://hdc.moph.go.th/center/public/main (In Thai)
Coll-Planas L, Valle Gómez G, Bonilha P, Masat T, Puig T, Monteserin R. Promoting social capital to alleviate loneliness and improve health among older people in Spain. Health Soc Care Community. 2017;25(1):145–57.
Chen S, Conwell Y, Xue J, Li LW, Tang W, Bogner HR, Dong H, Peiris D. Effectiveness of integrated care for older adults with depression and hypertension in rural China: a cluster randomized controlled trial. PLOS Med. 2022;19(10):e1004019. doi: 10.1371/journal.
pmed.1004019.
Dong Y, Zhang X, Zhao R, Cao L, Kuang X, Yao J. The effects of mind-body exercise on anxiety and depression in older adults: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Front Psychiatry. 2024;15:1305295. doi: 10.3389/
fpsyt.2024.1305295.
Rosner B. Fundamentals of biostatistics. 8th ed. Boston: Cengage Learning; 2015.
Lertsuwan K. Effects of a meaning in life enhancement program on depression among older adults in the social welfare development center for older persons [master's thesis]. Pathum Thani: Thammasat University, Faculty of Nursing, Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing; 2023. (In Thai)
Wongpakaran N, Wongpakaran T, Van Reekum R. The use of GDS-15 in detecting MDD: a comparison between residents in a Thai long-term care home and geriatric outpatients. J Clin Med Res. 2013;5(2):101-11. doi: 10.4021/jocmr1239w.
Sheikh JI, Yesavage JA. Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS): recent evidence and development of a shorter version. In: Brink TL, editor. Clinical gerontology: a guide to assessment and intervention. New York: Haworth Press; 1986. p. 165-73.
Wongpakaran N, Wongpakaran T, Pinyopornpanish M, Simcharoen S, Suradom C, Varnado P, Kuntawong P. Development and validation of a 6-item Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale (RULS-6) using Rasch analysis. Br J Health Psychol. 2020;25(2):233-56. doi: 10.1111/bjhp.12404.
Mahatnirunkul S, Tuntipivatanskul W, Pumpaisalchai W, Wongsuwan K, Pornmanarungkul R. WHOQOL-BREF-THAI. Nonthaburi: Department of Mental Health, Ministry of Public Health; 2002 [cited 2026 Jul 8]. Available from: https://dmh.go.th/test/whoqol/
Orem DE. Nursing: concepts of practice. 6th ed. St. Louis: Mosby; 2001.
Department of Mental Health. Guidelines for mental health promotion among older adults. Bangkok: Department of Mental Health, Ministry of Public Health; 2022. (In Thai)
Beck AT, Rush AJ, Shaw BF, Emery G. Cognitive therapy of depression. New York: Guilford Press; 1979.
Kabat-Zinn J. Full catastrophe living: using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain and illness. New York: Delacorte Press; 1990.
Yuangdetkla N, Tancharoen A. The Effects of Psycho-education Program on The Depressive Symptoms among Elderly, Bang Pakong District, Chachoengsao Province, Research and Development Health System Journal. 2024; 17(1): 155–67. (In Thai)
Cobb S. Social support as a moderator of life stress. Psychosom Med. 1976;38(5):300–14.
House JS, Landis KR, Umberson D. Social relationships and health. Science. 1988; 241(4865): 540–5.
Weiss RS. Loneliness: the experience of emotional and social isolation. Cambridge: MIT Press; 1973.
Suriyawong W, Budda R, Sriprasert K, Pipatpiboon N, Tuanrat W, Tamdee D, Pumthait T, Sanprakhon P. A group-based psychosocial program for reducing loneliness in older adults: a quasi-experimental study. J Prim Care Community Health. 2025;16:21501319251380614.
Ryff CD. Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1989; 57(6): 1069–81.