The impact of Mental Health of Older People (MHOP) Training Module for Community Health Workers: A preliminary study

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to determine if the mental health of older people (MHOP) training module is effective in improving knowledge among community health workers. Materials and Methods: One-group of pretest-posttest design was employed among 36 community health workers. The training was conducted in an elderly activity center in Malaysia. A set of questionnaires was used for data collection that consisted of two parts: a sociodemographic background and knowledge level. A statistical software (IBM SPSS Statistics version 23.0) was used for the data analysis. Results: The within-group analysis revealed that there was a significant mean difference between the pre-test and post-test (p=0.00). Conclusion: The MHOP training module could be an effective way to improve the knowledge level in mental health of older people among community health workers in Malaysia. The training has the potential for engaging community health workers in a delivery task related to mental health care.