Effectiveness of Community-Participatory Monitoring and Care for Drug Users in the Catchment Area of Ban Thu Subdistrict Health Promoting Hospital, That Phanom District, Nakhon Phanom Province

Abstract

            This quasi-experimental, one-group pretest–posttest study aimed to compare symptoms, quality of life, and attitudes toward treatment outcomes and relapse before and after participation in a community-participatory follow-up care program. Thirty-four participants who had completed CBTx substance use treatment were purposively recruited from the catchment area of Ban Thu Subdistrict Health Promoting Hospital, That Phanom District, Nakhon Phanom Province. The intervention was a 12-week community-participatory follow-up program delivered by the "511 team," consisting of multidisciplinary professionals, village health volunteers, peer buddies, and family members. Data were collected using a four-part questionnaire covering demographic characteristics, symptoms of substance users, quality of life, and attitudes toward treatment outcomes and relapse. Descriptive statistics and the paired sample t-test were used at the .05 significance level.

             Most participants were male, aged 20–30 years, with education below the bachelor's level, single, and worked as general laborers. The majority used methamphetamine, initiated between 15 and 18 years of age. After the 12-week program, mean scores significantly increased (p < .05) in all three domains: symptoms (from 6.50 to 12.32), quality of life (from 10.61 to 20.44), and attitudes toward treatment outcomes and relapse (from 8.38 to 14.85). These preliminary findings suggest favorable within-group changes among participants. However, given the single-group pretest–posttest design without a control group, the observed changes cannot be attributed to the program alone. Future studies with control groups and longer follow-up periods are recommended to evaluate relapse prevention and the sustainability of outcomes.