Effectiveness of a self-help manual on the promotion of resilience in individuals with depression in Thailand: a randomised controlled trial

The prevalence of depression is increasing markedly in Thailand. One way of helping people with depression is to increase their resilience; good resilience is associated with positive outcomes in depression. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a self-help manual on the resilience levels of individuals with depression living in the community in Chiang Mai Province in northern Thailand

Effectiveness of guided self-help in decreasing expressed emotion in family caregivers of people diagnosed with depression in Thailand: a randomised controlled trial

Background: High expressed emotion (EE) can extend the duration of illness and precipitate relapse; however, little evidence-based information is available to assist family caregivers of individuals with depression. In the present exploratory study, we examined the effectiveness of a cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) based guided self-help (GSH) manual in decreasing EE in caregivers of people with depression, in Thailand. Method: A parallel group randomised controlled trial was conducted, following CONSORT guidelines, with 54 caregivers who were allocated equally to GSH or control group (standard outpatient department support). In addition, both groups were contacted weekly by telephone. EE was assessed, using the Family Questionnaire (FQ), at baseline, post-test (Week 8) and follow-up (Week 12). Results: FQ scores at baseline indicated that both groups had similar, though moderately high level of EE. However, between baseline and post-test EE scores decreased markedly in the intervention group, but in contrast, they increased slightly in the control group. Between post-test and follow-up, little change took place in the EE scores of either group. Overall, the intervention group recipients of GSH showed a significant decrease in EE whereas the control group recipients of standard outpatient department support reported a slight increase in EE. Conclusion: These findings provide preliminary evidence that GSH is beneficial in reducing EE in caregivers, which is advantageous to family members with depression and caregivers. The approach may be used as an adjunct to the limited outpatient department support given to caregivers by mental health professionals and, perhaps, to caregivers who do not attend these departments

Efficacy of a self-help manual in increasing resilience in carers of adults with depression in Thailand

Caring for a person with a mental illness can have adverse effects on caregivers; however, little is known about how best to help such caregivers. The aim of the present study was to examine the efficacy of a cognitive behaviour therapy-guided self-help manual in increasing resilience in caregivers of individuals with depression, in comparison to caregivers who receive routine support only. A randomized, controlled trial was conducted, following CONSORT guidelines, with 54 caregivers allocated to parallel intervention (self-help manual) (n = 27) or control (standard support) (n = 27) groups. Resilience was assessed at baseline, post-test (week 8), and follow up (week 12). Intention-to-treat analyses were undertaken. Repeated-measures ANOVA indicated a significant difference in resilience scores between the three time points, showing a large effect. Pairwise comparisons between intervention and control groups indicated resilience to be significantly different between baseline and post-test, and between baseline and follow up, but not between post-test and follow up. Overall, the intervention group showed a slightly greater increase in resilience over time than the control group; however, the time–group interaction was not significant. Guided self-help is helpful in improving caregivers’ resilience and could be used as an adjunct to the limited support provided to carers by mental health nurses and other clinicians

Adolescent self-control predicts midlife hallucinatory experiences:40-year follow-up of a national birth cohort

Associations between self-control in adolescence and adult mental health are unclear in the general population; to our knowledge, no study has investigated self-control in relation to psychotic-like symptoms

Effectiveness of a guided self-help manual in strengthening resilience in people diagnosed with moderate depression and their family caregivers in Thailand: a randomised controlled trial

The growing incidence of depression in developing countries, such as Thailand, is placing increasing pressure on public mental health services, and those living in rural areas have limited access to mental health services and specialised support. Resilience is integral to the recovery of people with depression and to caregivers. This parallel group randomised controlled trial evaluated the effectiveness of a guided self-help manual in improving resilience in adults diagnosed with moderate depression and their primary caregivers in Thailand. Our findings indicate that the approach is an accessible and low-cost approach to increasing resilience in adults with depression and their caregivers

Evaluation of a cognitive behavioural bibliotherapy self-help intervention program on the promotion of resilience in individuals with depression

Depression is projected to become the major mental health problem in Thailand. One way of helping people with depression is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy incorporated in bibliotherapy. The study used a randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of an 8-week modularised self-help intervention program in promoting resilience in people living in the community with moderate depression. Based on a power analysis, a sample of 56 individuals with moderate depression was recruited through Suan Prung Psychiatric Hospital, Chiang Mai, Thailand. Participants were randomly allocated to an intervention or control group. Data were collected with standardised psychometric instruments, including Resilience Scale, Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. Data were collected at baseline, at the end of intervention, and four weeks after the completion of the intervention. Data were analysed using SPSS, Version 16.0. The findings showed there were statistically significant differences between the intervention and the control group in their resilience, depression and psychological distress levels. The participants who completed the self-help manual achieved greater resilience and lower levels of depression and psychological distress than the control group. The findings support the use of bibliotherapy for people with moderate depression in a Thai context. Bibliotherapy is straightforward to use, and an easily accessible addition to the standard approach to promoting recovery from depression. It is readily incorporated into the work of mental health professionals in promoting resilience and enhancing recovery in people with moderate depression in the community

Evaluation of a cognitive behavioural self-help manual for reducing depression: a randomized controlled trial

The prevalence of depression is increasing in Thailand. We used a randomized controlled trial to examine the effectiveness of a self-help programme in reducing depression in people with depression in Chiang Mai Province in Thailand. Fifty-six individuals diagnosed with moderate depression participated. They were assigned randomly to an intervention (n= 27) or control (n= 29) group. The intervention group were given a self-help manual along with standard care and treatment, while the control group continued to receive standard care and treatment. Both groups were also given a short weekly telephone call. The findings showed statistically significant differences between the groups, and within the intervention group, in their depression levels. Between baseline and post-test, a sharp decrease in depression was evident in the intervention group, whereas the level of depression increased in the control group. Between post-test and follow-up, a decrease was apparent in depression in both groups. However, the intervention group showed a much lower level of depression than the control group. The results support the use of bibliotherapy as an adjunct to mental health nurses' and other professionals' work in caring for people with moderate depression in the community