روانشناسی پیری (May 2018)
The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training on Increasing Happiness and Improving Quality of Life in Elderly
Abstract
The growth of the elderly papulation has gradually caused researchers and experts to confirm the importance of taking into consideration the elderly’s health and to recommend the provision of necessary facilities and the presentation of special services. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness training on increasing happiness and improving the quality of life in the elderly in Khorramabad, Iran. The current research was a quasi-experimental of pretest-posttest with control group design. The statistical population consisted of all the elderly in nursing homes located in Khorramabad in 2017, among whom the statistical sample were selected based on inclusion criteria and assigned randomly into experimental (n=12) and control (n=12) groups. Used to measure the variables were the Oxford Happiness and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaires. Data were analyzed using multivariate covariance analysis. It was post-test phase conducted after the intervention was presented. Results indicated that after the effect of pre-test on the variables was controlled, it was seen that there is a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in the post-test phase (P<0.001). Hence, the mindfulness training resulted in the increase of happiness and the improvement of quality of life in the experimental group in comparison with the control group. The results reveal the necessity of utilizing mindfulness training plan to improve the quality of life and to enhance the happiness in the elderly. Therefore, mindfulness training is suggested to be applied in psychological services delivered for the elderly.
