Depression is the common mental health disorder in the older adults. It is affecting daily life and health status. The study was a quasi-experimental study aimed to evaluate the effects of preventive program for depression among the older adults in the rural community of Thailand by using community participation. The samples consisted 35 of older adults who were aged 60 years old and older and lived in the rural community of Thailand. The preventive program for depression among the elderly were developed by the surveying stage to investigate the factors associated to depression in the community which consisted of family relationship, social support, participate in community activity, sufficiency of income and perceived of severity illness. Conclusion, the preventive program for depression was conducted the activity to enhance the knowledge about protective and self-care behaviors from depression, establish the activity to reinforce the mutual learning skill depression between the elderly, family member and community leader to build up the good relationship and communication skills. Furthermore, conducted the activity to develop the career and lead to improve the sufficient of income and provide activity to improve the self-care knowledge for changing the perceived of illness followed by their health problems. The instruments were developed by the literature review and relevant theories consisted of 8 parts. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, chi-square test, paired t-test. The result showed that after intervention, the elderly was increased the knowledge and self-care skill on depression (p<0.001) and the depression score was decreased by comparing with the score of depression before intervention which using the Thai geriatric depression scale for assessing the depression score (p<0.001). The finding suggests that the results from the study resulting in knowledge to preventive depression in elderly by using the community participation and collaborating from the local administrative organization and civil society network for creating baseline data and guideline to promote the healthy status for prevent depression and lead to develop the health policy

Keywords : Depression; Preventive; Intervention; Elderly.