Evaluation of a Strength-Based Resilience Program on Resilience, Perceived Stress, and Depressive Symptoms Among...

Background/Objectives: Adolescent mental health is a growing public health concern in Thailand, with high rates of stress and depressive symptoms among secondary school students. This study aimed to (1) quantitatively examine changes in resilience, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms associated with participation in the Changing Minds, Changing Lives (CMCL) strength-based resilience program and (2) qualitatively explore participants' experiences of the program, at a private single-sex secondary school in Bangkok, Thailand. Methods: A quasi-experimental, single-group, pre-post-follow-up mixed-methods design, without a control group, was employed. Twenty-six students aged 15-18 years, enrolled in a single-sex boys' secondary school, were recruited using convenience sampling. The Thai Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (Thai CD-RISC), Thai Perceived Stress Scale (T-PSS-10), and Thai Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) were administered at baseline (T₁), immediately post-intervention (T₂), and one-month follow-up (T₃). The CMCL program comprised six sessions delivered over three weeks. Repeated measures ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc correction was used for quantitative analysis. Qualitative data from reflective writings and final presentations were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Results: All outcomes showed significant within-group change over time. Resilience increased from pre-intervention (T₁: M = 64.00) to post-intervention (T₂: M = 76.46) and one-month follow-up (T₃: M = 78.19; F_(2,50) = 75.63, p < 0.001, η² = 0.752). Perceived stress decreased from pre-intervention (T₁: M = 20.62) to post-intervention (T₂: M = 13.04) and one-month follow-up (T₃: M = 9.62; F_{(1.567,39.17)} = 105.03, p < 0.001, η² = 0.808). Depressive symptoms also declined from pre-intervention (T₁: M = 7.27) to post-intervention (T₂: M = 5.81) and one-month follow-up (T₃: M = 4.88; F_(2,50) = 14.74, p < 0.001, η² = 0.371). Qualitative findings supported these results, highlighting three themes: Self-Understanding, Stress Management, and Understanding Others. Conclusions: Participation in the CMCL strength-based resilience program was associated with increased resilience and reduced perceived stress and depressive symptoms among Thai secondary school students, with changes maintained at one-month follow-up. Given the single-group design and small sample, these findings are preliminary. The program appears feasible and promising as a school-based preventive mental health intervention for adolescents in Thailand, and warrants evaluation in controlled studies with larger and more diverse samples.