A Development of a Mental Health Counseling System for Preventing Depression Among University Students in the Nakhon Pathom Province

Abstract

This research and development project aimed to develop a mental health counseling system to prevent depression among university students. Develop a counseling system using a participatory process. Data was collected using a depression assessment questionnaire and semi-structured interviews, a simple random sample was drawn from 429 students, specifically selecting 5 doctors and nurses. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, mean, standard deviation, and percentage, and comparative content analysis. The research findings revealed that the mental health counseling system for individuals with depression includes the following components: 1) Screening assessment for the At-risk group with depression. 2) Providing counseling services for students with depression, and referring them for hospital treatment when necessary. 3) Conducting activities to enhance knowledge and understanding of depression and strengthened resilience in life. 4) Implementing a monitoring system for the at-risk group. “Forty-one students with moderate depression who received services, their self-esteem mean scores increased significantly ( = 24.61), with a statistically significant relationship at the .05 level. The mental health counseling system for preventing depression among students facilitates appropriate access to care and increased self-esteem. The educational institution should establish a mental health counseling system for students, incorporating mental health problem screening for students facing mental health challenges.