Development of Depression Prevention Model for Patients Living with HIV/AIDS, Ban Kruad Hospital, Buriram Province

Abstract

The research on the development and implementation of a depression prevention model for people living with HIV/AIDS at Ban Kruad hospital, Buriram province, aimed to develop, pilot-test, and evaluate the effectiveness of the “BKH Mind Care Model (BMCM)”. The study was conducted in three phases: 1) assessing the current situation and analyzing problems, 2) developing a draft of the BMCM based on findings and relevant research, followed by an evaluation of its appropriateness by experts, and 3) pilot-testing and evaluating the BMCM among 128 people living with HIV/AIDS, divided into an experimental group (n=64) receiving care according to the BMCM and a control group (n=64) receiving standard care. Key research instruments included the PHQ-9, a depression knowledge questionnaire, a social support and network assessment, a depression care evaluation form, and a satisfaction survey regarding the BMCM.

The results indicated that all participants in the experimental group received depression screening using standardized tools (100%). The mean PHQ-9 score significantly decreased from 12.40 (SD=4.10) to 7.25 (SD=3.60) (p<0.05). Furthermore, 83.3 percent of participants showed a reduction in depression severity from moderate-to-severe levels to mild or no depression. Participants also demonstrated high levels of knowledge about depression, engagement with support networks, and quality of mental health care, alongside the highest level of satisfaction with the BMCM. These findings suggest that the BMCM is an effective model for preventing and reducing depression among people living with HIV/AIDS, enhancing access to screening, promoting systematic and continuous mental health care, and demonstrating potential for scaling up as a guideline for policy-level implementation.