EFFECTIVENESS OF THE RESKEM MODULE BASED ON COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY IN REDUCING DEPRESSION AMONG UNMARRIED PREGNANT ADOLESCENTS

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the RESKEM Module, which is based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), in reducing depression among unmarried pregnant adolescents. The study employed a pre- and post-test experimental design involving 70 participants, with 35 assigned to the intervention group and 35 to the control group. The intervention was conducted over six weeks through structured group counselling sessions using a module specifically developed based on CBT principles. The main instrument used was the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), which has been validated in the Malay language (Azah et al., 2005; Kroenke et al., 2001). Data analysis using MANOVA and MANCOVA revealed significant differences between the intervention and control groups in reducing depressive symptoms. This study contributes to the development of a theory-based and structured psychosocial intervention model that has the potential to be implemented in shelters for unmarried pregnant adolescents in Malaysia.