Measeurement of the effect of mental health interventions in primary prevention

Csaba Móczár, Anita Szente-Hajnal, Anett Bagi

Keywords: mental health, mental health test, primary prevention, intervetions

Background:

Measuring the effectiveness of primary prevention activities aimed at mental health is complicated. Our study examined the use of the Mental Health Test within the framework of a pilot study conducted on two interconnected, well-defined target groups.

Research questions:

In 2023-2024, the mental health staff of the Kecskemét Community Health Office assessed the mental health status of the care nursing home residents and the care staff before and after completing an individual and community intervention program.

Method:

Mental Health Test (MET) was used to survey mental status, which measures the following five pillars of mental health:
1. Well-being (global well-being)
2. Savoring
3. Creative-executive efficiency
4. Self-regulation
5. Resilience

Answering was done on a 6-point Likert-type scale.
Supervision was introduced for the workers in group and individual forms.
For residents: personal and integration support groups were organized.

Results:

161 residents of the nursing home (74% women, 26% men) participated in the study, their average age was 82.6 years (43-96 years). The average scores of the questionnaire test showed an improvement after the complex intervention: well-being, from 3.24 to 3.97, savoring from 3.45 to 4.01, creative-executive efficiency from 3.04 to 3,41, self-regulation changed from 4.01 to 4.36, resilience from 3.14 to 3.57 points, and MET characterizing the general psychological state from 3.45 to 3.87. The degree of change was significant in all cases.
80 workers were involved, 75 women and five men (48.8 years (22-64 years). Well-being increased from 3.81 to 4.79, savoring from 4.0 to 5.13, creative-executive efficiency increased from 3.61 to 4.56, self-regulation from 4.37 to 4 to .59, resilience improved from 3.41 to 4.09, and the MET average increased from 3.74 to 4.63.

Conclusions:

Our pilot study showed that the complex intervention to help integrate the elderly residents significantly improved their psychological state.
The improvement in the caregivers' psychological state is outstanding.

Points for discussion:

#19