Effect of Empowerment, Social Support, and Valuation on Depression Prevention Among the Elderly in Phayu Subdistrict, Phayu District, Sisaket Province

Abstract

     The purpose of this quasi-experimental research was to study the effect of empowerment, social support, and valuation on depression prevention among the elderly in Phayu subdistrict, Phayu district, Sisaket province. The sample group was divided into two groups, with 32 people in each group, resulting in a total of 64 participants. The comparison group consisted of elderly individuals in Non Phek Subdistrict, Phayu District, Sisaket Province. The experimental group received the program for a period of 12 weeks, while the comparison group received normal care. Data were collected using questionnaires administered before and after the experiment. Data analysis was conducted between 15 June 2023 and 15 September 2023, using descriptive statistics, including percentages, means, standard deviations, medians, and 25^th and 75^th percentiles. The difference in mean scores of variables within the group was compared using the paired t-test, while the difference in mean scores among the groups was analyzed using the independent t-test. The significance level was set at 0.05. After the experiment, the mean scores for knowledge about depression, perceived risk of depression, perceived severity of depression, perceived benefits of preventing depression, and perceived barriers to preventing depression all showed significant increases in the experimental group compared to their scores before the experiment. Additionally, the levels of social support for preventing depression, self-esteem, and depression prevention behavior among the elderly in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the comparison group. These differences were found to be statistically significant at the 0.05 level.