Development and Effectiveness of a Community-Participatory Depression Surveillance and Suicide Prevention Model for Older Adults, Phu sang District, Phayao Province.
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Abstract
Objective: To develop a community-participatory model for depression surveillance and suicide prevention among older adults in Phu Sang District, Phayao Province, Thailand.
Materials and methods: This mixed-methods study was conducted in three phases: (1) situation analysis, (2) model development, trial implementation, and revision, and (3) expansion through a quasi-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design. The participants included community leaders, public health personnel, and older adults, purposively selected for a total of 110 participants. Data were collected using focus group interviews, questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and the Mental Health Check-in program. The study was conducted from May 2024 to July 2025. Data were analyzed using content analysis, descriptive statistics and paired t-test.
Results: The community-participatory model for depression surveillance and suicide prevention among older adults comprised four key activities:1) “3S Mind Scan” the service access rate for depression care increased from 19% to 33%; 2) “Friendly Community Saves Lives” all 13 individuals with suicidal behavior were successfully helped; 3) “Empower the Elderly: No One Left Behind” the mental strength of older adults improved from low to moderate levels; 4) “Phu Sang District Health Board: Co-Creation and Evaluation Initiative” Participation and satisfaction scores increased, and suicide deaths among older adults showed a declining trend.
Conclusion: A community-participatory model for depression surveillance and suicide prevention among older adults can effectively enhance mental health literacy, strengthen positive attitudes and psychological resilience, improve access to appropriate care for depression, and has the potential to reduce the suicide mortality rate among older adults.
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บทความหลังผ่านการปรับแก้จากกองบรรณาธิการแล้ว เป็นลิขสิทธ์ของวารสารจิตเวชวิทยาสาร โรงพยาบาลสวนปรุง กรมสุขภาพจิต กระทรวงสาธารณสุข ห้ามเผยแพร่เพื่อประโยชน์ทางการค้าโดยไม่ได้รับอนุญาต แต่อนุญาตให้เผยแพร่บทความดังกล่าวเพื่อประโยชน์ทางการศึกษาแก่ประชาชนทั่วไป ทั้งนี้กองบรรณาธิการไม่จำเป็นต้องเห็นด้วยกับบทความหรือข้อคิดเห็นใดๆ ที่ปรากฏในวารสารสวนปรุง
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