Stress and Mental Well-being in Post-COVID-19 among Community Dwellers in Central Thailand: A Mixed-Methods Study

Global mental health has been markedly disrupted following the COVID-19 pandemic, and Thailand has similarly faced considerable psychological consequences among its communities. This embedded mixed-methods study was conducted in Bueng Yi Tho sub-district, Pathum Thani province, central Thailand. For the quantitative strand, 115 community dwellers aged 18–59 years were recruited via proportionate stratified random sampling. They completed validated questionnaires measuring stress (Thai Perceived Stress Scale-10) and mental well-being (Scales of Psychological Well-Being). For the qualitative strand, 45 participants with moderate-to-high stress were purposively selected from the quantitative sample and participated in five focus group discussions. Qualitative data were analyzed using hermeneutic phenomenological analysis. The study is reported here following the STROBE and COREQ guidelines. Quantitative findings revealed that the majority experienced moderate-to-high stress, with insufficient income, chronic disease, education level, occupation, and female sex as key sociodemographic predictors. Mental well-being was inversely correlated with stress levels. Qualitative findings yielded two themes: 1) stress experiences and management in the post-pandemic context; and 2) mental well-being promotion through hybrid support systems. Integration of findings confirmed that economic insecurity was the predominant stressor, with qualitative data revealing specific mechanisms such as the inability to support children’s education and fear of economic collapse. Effective coping integrated traditional Thai practices (herbal medicine, Buddhist principles, sufficiency economy philosophy) with modern approaches. Community support through village health volunteers and structured activities buffered the impact of stress. These integrated findings provide evidence for developing culturally appropriate, multi-level mental health interventions for post-pandemic Thai communities.