Effectiveness of Implementing Happiness Program among Chronic Disease with Major Depressive Disorder, Koh Phangngan Hospital, Suratthani Province

Abstract

          Background: A major problem of providing care for patients with depressive disorder is that the recent treatments have relied solely on medication and psychoeducation program, but there are few services using mental therapy. Indeed, in addition to the medication treatments, treatments using mental therapy program may be also required for patients with major depressive disorder.

          Objective: To evaluate effectiveness of implementing happiness program among chronic disease with major depressive disorder, Koh Phangan Hospital, Suratthani.

          Methods: This quasi experimental study, one-group pre-posttest. The samples comprised 35 patients diagnosed with diabetes type 2 and hypertension with depressive disorder, who were screened for depressive disorder level using 9-Item Thai Patient Health Questionnaire (Thai PHQ-9). The level of depression varied from mild to moderate (7-18 score). The samples group participated in the happiness program. The depressive disorder level and happiness level were collected by questionnaire before and after the subjects participated in the program. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Paired-sample t-test.

          Results: The findings revealed that before participating the happiness program, the subjects were found to have depressive disorder with mild level (73.4%) and with medium level (25.7%). After the program participation, most of subjects (91.4%) did not show depressive disorder and 8.6% of them had a mild level. The average depressive disorder score before and after the program participation with statistical significance (t=6.4, p<0.05). Meanwhile, the average happiness score before and after participating in the happiness program with statistical significance (t=12.5, p<0.05).

          Conclusion: It is argued from the current study that the happiness program makes the patients with depressive disorder likely to increase their happiness and reduce their depression.