Psychosocial Support Provided by Health Volunteer for Older Adult with Depression and Suicide Attempt: A Case Study

Depression  causes  major  disabilities  and  can  lead  to  suicide  among  older  adults  in  Thai  rural communities. A case study was used to present the psychosocial support provided by a health volunteer to an older  adult  suffering from depression  and attempted  suicide.  Content  analysis  was  applied  to analyze the data.  The  results  revealed  that the psychosocial support  given  by  the  health volunteer  consisted  of  4 processes; 1) support and motivation to keep alive, 2) encouragement for a new life, 3) empowerment for life change,  and  4)  evaluation  of  the  change  process.  These  processes not  only  help  mitigate  patients’   symptoms  of  depression  and  possible suicide  risks  but  also  prove to promote  psychological  well-being. The patient outcome benefits indicated sustainability over the course of 18 months.

Depression  causes  major  disabilities  and  can  lead  to  suicide  among  older  adults  in  Thai  rural communities. A case study was used to present the psychosocial support provided by a health volunteer to an older  adult  suffering from depression  and attempted  suicide.  Content  analysis  was  applied  to analyze the data.  The  results  revealed  that the psychosocial support  given  by  the  health volunteer  consisted  of  4 processes; 1) support and motivation to keep alive, 2) encouragement for a new life, 3) empowerment for life change,  and  4)  evaluation  of  the  change  process.  These  processes not  only  help  mitigate  patients’   symptoms  of  depression  and  possible suicide  risks  but  also  prove to promote  psychological  well-being. The patient outcome benefits indicated sustainability over the course of 18 months.