Supa PengpidKarl PeltzerCollege of Medical and Health ScienceUniversity of LimpopoMahidol University2022-08-042022-08-042021-01-01Primary Health Care Research and Development. Vol.22, (2021)14771128146342362-s2.0-85112690946https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/78657Background: The aim of this study was to conduct a comparative follow-up assessment of clients with depressive symptoms attending monk healers or primary care clinics in Thailand. Methods: Consecutively attending clients of three monk healing and three primary care centres who screened positive (a score of 9 or more) on the Primary Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9 at the study site were followed up at 3 months after baseline assessment. Results: In 3 monk healer sites, 448 clients agreed to be screened with the PHQ-9 for depression, and 94 screened positive, and in 3 health centres 582 clients agreed to be screened, and 92 screened positive for depressive symptoms on the PHQ-9. In 2 monk healing sites, 79 clients (84%) were followed up at 3 months, and in 3 health centres, 79 clients (85.9%) were followed up at 3 months. At 3-month follow-up, mixed modelling found significant interaction effects (a time-by-condition interaction, i.e., between-group changes) on depression scores (P = 0.001). Depressive symptoms significantly decreased over time, but there was no significant difference in decline between the two groups. Conclusion: Clients attending monk healers decreased more in depressive scores compared to clients attending primary care centres, though there was no group effect with respect to number of depressed clients. © 2021 The Author(s).Mahidol UniversityMedicineNursingArticleSCOPUS10.1017/S1463423621000475