Development and Evaluation of Knowledge Hub on Prevention and Solution for Drug Problems to Enhance the Effectiveness of Relapse Treatment in Thailand

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the systemic effectiveness of the Knowledge Hub on Prevention and Solution of Drug Problem (PSDP-Hub) for public health policies and community participation. Employing a 12-month Mixed Methods research design, integrated with Participatory Action Research (PAR), quantitative instruments were validated for content accuracy (IOC ≥ 0.67), showing acceptable internal consistency (Alpha = 0.79–0.91) and structural fit (CFI = 0.94, RMSEA = 0.06). Qualitative data were gathered via 12 semi-structured focus groups for thematic analysis.  The findings indicated that the PSDP-Hub digital platform engaged 18,234 unique users across 77 provinces in Thailand, achieving a high overall user satisfaction rate (Mean = 4.48, SD = 0.58, t(1246) = 92.34, p < .001, Cohen's d = 2.55). Furthermore, multi-sectoral collaboration expanded to 34 organizations, with the Royal Police Cadet Academy serving as the central node (Network Density = 0.42, Clustering Coefficient = 0.68). Regarding youth prevention, the “1 Police Station 1 Model” initiative across 10 pilot stations successfully retained 935 high-risk youth (89.3%), yielding statistically significant post-test improvements (p < .001) in drug knowledge, risk assessment capacities, and self-esteem scores. In terms of rehabilitation effectiveness for drug-relapse cases through the community-based “Kaolieo Model” utilizing the Community-Based Treatment (CBT) approach among 108 voluntary participants, the 6-month completion rate reached 72.2%, with 6.5% achieving sustained abstinence and 21.3% showing a significant reduction in harmful substance use. Among the 78 graduates, multidimensional positive changes were observed in employment (42.3%), housing stability (87.2%), and family relationships (76.9%), while 89.7% avoided criminal recidivism during the program.  These empirical insights demonstrated the feasibility of utilizing this collaborative framework to scale up and drive sustainable policy recommendations for addressing drug problems more extensively.