Efficacy of a Culturally Tailored Therapeutic Intervention Program for Community Dwelling Depressed Korean American Women: A Non-Randomized Quasi-Experimental Design Study

Effect of a Logotherapy-Based Empowerment Program for Achieving Self-Reliance Among Persons Living Houseless

The lives of houseless individuals are characterized by powerlessness, meaninglessness, hopelessness, and despair, yet they have a desire to escape homelessness. While the economic aspect is essential for escaping homelessness, psychological resources are crucial, as they form the basis of the strength needed to achieve independence. The study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a logotherapy-based empowerment program developed to strengthen the capabilities of persons living houseless and ultimately develop competencies that serve as a foundation for self-reliance. The study was performed in a homeless support center for men living houseless in South Korea using a repeated-measures design with a control group. The experimental group received an eight-session empowerment program over 8 weeks. The participants were assessed at three intervals: pretest, posttest immediately after the program, and follow-up test 4 weeks after the posttest. The follow-up tests were completed by 22 and 16 participants in the experimental and control groups, respectively. We found that the empowerment program significantly enhanced the meaning of life, hope, and empowerment of houseless individuals. Community mental health nurses, who are in a position to interact with persons living houseless, must empower them to escape homelessness and achieve self-reliance, an important goal for this population.

Life Experiences of Older Men Living Alone With Depression

As the percentage of older adults living alone increases, social interest has been drawn to this physically, financially, and socially vulnerable group. The purpose of the current study was to gain a deeper understanding of the life experiences of older men with depression who live alone. Eight community-dwelling men aged ≥65 years who lived alone in Korea and had depression were enrolled in this study. Data were collected via individual in-depth interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. Four themes emerged from analysis: Life Trapped in the Traditional Masculine Ideology, Weakening Mind and Body, Lost and Helpless, and Beginning of Communication With the World. Results of this study will be helpful in developing more effective depression intervention programs for older men living alone by increasing community health care professionals' understanding and sensitivity. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, xx(xx), xx-xx.].

Evaluating clinical outcomes of routinely delivered task-shared care for depression in rural Haiti

BACKGROUND

There is a growing literature in support of the effectiveness of task-shared mental health interventions in resource-limited settings globally. However, despite evidence that effect sizes are greater in research studies than actual care, the literature is sparse on the impact of such interventions as delivered in routine care. In this paper, we examine the clinical outcomes of routine depression care in a task-shared mental health system established in rural Haiti by the international health care organization Partners In Health, in collaboration with the Haitian Ministry of Health, following the 2010 earthquake.

METHODS

For patients seeking depression care betw|een January 2016 and December 2019, we conducted mixed-effects longitudinal regression to quantify the effect of depression visit dose on symptoms, incorporating interaction effects to examine the relationship between baseline severity and dose.

RESULTS

306 patients attended 2052 visits. Each visit was associated with an average reduction of 1.11 in depression score (range 0-39), controlling for sex, age, and days in treatment (95% CI -1.478 to -0.91; p < 0.001). Patients with more severe symptoms experienced greater improvement as a function of visits (p = 0.04). Psychotherapy was provided less frequently and medication more often than expected for patients with moderate symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings support the potential positive impact of scaling up routine mental health services in low- and middle-income countries, despite greater than expected variability in service provision, as well as the importance of understanding potential barriers and facilitators to care as they occur in resource-limited settings.

Effects of an Existential Nursing Intervention for College Students in the COVID-19 Pandemic Situation

This study designed an intervention based on logo-autobiography to reduce Korean college students' stress and depression and help them find meaning in their lives amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. A quasi-experimental design was used to conduct group interventions among college students. A total of 22 and 26 participants were included in the experimental and control groups, respectively. The experimental group received six sessions of a logo-autobiography for college students (LAC). The effects of the LAC interventions were assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and four weeks after the program's end to determine their retention rate. The effects of group, time, and the group-by-time interaction were verified using generalized estimating equations with an autoregressive correlation structure. The experimental group exhibited significantly lower levels of stress and depression and higher levels concerning the meaning of life than the control group. However, only the effects on stress and the meaning of life continued four weeks after the intervention's end. Based on this study's results, LAC can be considered a useful method for reducing stress and depression in college students who have just started their adult life, as well as for aiding them in their pursuit for the meaning of life.

Quantitative and Qualitative Evaluations of the Enhanced Logo-autobiography Program for Korean-American Women

This study extends Bernstein et al.'s (2016) investigation of the effects of the Enhanced Logo-autobiography Program on Korean-American women's depressive symptoms, coping strategies, purpose in life, and posttraumatic growth by analyzing quantitative and qualitative data. This study's participants significantly improved on quantitative measures of depression, coping strategies, purpose in life, and post-traumatic growth at eight weeks post-intervention and follow-up. The qualitative content analysis revealed 17 themes with five essential themes. The program's activity to promote purpose in life through posttraumatic growth facilitated participants' recovery from traumatic experiences. Standardized guidelines are needed to conduct this program in Korean community centers.