Effectiveness of Community-Based Mental Health Education in Enhancing Adolescents’ Knowledge of Depression Prevention: A Pre-Experimental Pretest–Posttest Study

Indry Novita; Indah Sumaryani; Sudi Trisna

doi:10.22475/jca.v1i1.31

Authors

Indry Novita Master of Occupational Medicine Study Program, Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia
Indah Sumaryani Master of Occupational Medicine Study Program, Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia
Sudi Trisna Master of Occupational Medicine Study Program, Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22475/jca.v1i1.31

Keywords:

Adolescents, Depression, Prevention, Education, Mental health

Abstract

Adolescent depression has become a significant public health concern, particularly in communities with limited access to mental health services. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of community-based mental health education in improving adolescents’ knowledge of depression prevention. A pre-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design was conducted among 60 adolescents aged 13–18 years in the working area of Puskesmas Cidempet, Indramayu, Indonesia. Participants received a structured 60-minute educational intervention covering depression awareness, risk factors, coping strategies, and help-seeking behavior. Knowledge was assessed using a validated 20-item questionnaire before and immediately after the intervention. Data were analyzed using paired-sample t-tests. The findings demonstrated a significant increase in mean knowledge scores from 11.82 ± 2.31 before the intervention to 16.45 ± 1.89 after the intervention (p < 0.001). The proportion of participants with high knowledge increased from 20.0% to 85.0%, while no participants remained in the low-knowledge category after education. The greatest improvements were observed in coping strategies and awareness of mental health support services. These results indicate that community-based mental health education is an effective, practical, and low-cost approach to enhancing adolescents’ knowledge of depression prevention, particularly in resource-limited settings.

References

Afendy, P. M., Ahman, A., Setiawati, S., & Nadhirah, N. A. (2024). Mental health literacy in adolescents: A systematic literature review. ProGCouns: Journal of Professionals in Guidance and Counseling, 5(2), 105–116. https://doi.org/10.21831/progcouns.v5i2.74084

Amado-Rodríguez, I. D., Casañas, R., Mas-Expósito, L., Castellví, P., Roldan-Merino, J. F., Casas, I., Lalucat-Jo, L., & Fernández-San Martín, M. I. (2022). Effectiveness of Mental Health Literacy Programs in Primary and Secondary Schools: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis. Children, 9(4), 480. https://doi.org/10.3390/children9040480

Asplund, A., Kummel, M., Laaksonen, C., Erjavec, K., Sakellari, E., Santala, E., & Korhonen, J. (2025). Promoting Mental Health Literacy of 13–16-Year-Old Students: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(10), 1578. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22101578

Castaldelli-Maia, J. M., Ventriglio, A., & Torales, J. (2025). The global prevalence of mental disorders among adolescents: Focus on sex, regional and socio-demographic differences. International Review of Psychiatry, 37(6–7), 570–580. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540261.2025.2573752

Ciobîcă, A. (2025). Current scientific concerns regarding adolescent mental health support. Studia Universitatis Moldaviae (Seria Ştiinţe Ale Educației), 185(5), 286–293. https://doi.org/10.59295/sum5(185)2025_36

Evans Jr., A. C. (2026). Mental health’s paradigm shift is already under way. Mental Health Weekly, 36(1), 5–5. https://doi.org/10.1002/mhw.34708

Kloek, M. W. H., Zsigo, C., Primbs, R., Iglhaut, L., Kaubisch, S., Piechaczek, C. E., Keim, P.-M., Feldmann, L., Schulte-Körne, G., & Greimel, E. (2025). Improving adolescents’ knowledge about mental health and depression: A randomized experimental study of web-based information. Frontiers in Digital Health, Volume 7-2025. https://doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2025.1640366

Knopf, A. (2025). The more time teens spend on social media, the higher the risk for depressive symptoms. The Brown University Child & Adolescent Psychopharmacology Update, 27(8), 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpu.30993

Lu, B., Lin, L., & Su, X. (2024). Global burden of depression or depressive symptoms in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 354, 553–562. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2024.03.074

Prasad, K. K. (2025). Mental Health Awareness and Its Impact on Youth Well-Being. International Journal of Scientific Research in Engineering and Management (JSREM), 9 (8). https://doi.org/10.55041/ijsrem52242

Ruswadi, I., Wennie, J., & Masliha, M. (2025). The effectiveness of mental health education on improving adolescents’ knowledge of depression prevention. JKKI: Jurnal Kedokteran Dan Kesehatan Indonesia, 360–371. https://doi.org/10.20885/jkki.vol16.iss3.art4

Sampaio, F., Gonçalves, P., & Sequeira, C. (2022). Mental Health Literacy: It Is Now Time to Put Knowledge into Practice. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(12), 7030. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127030