Cognitive flexibility and emotional self‐regulation of the elderly with Empty nest syndrome: Benefits of acceptance and commitment therapy

Abstract

Abstract Background and Aims Empty nest syndrome (ENS) is a mental condition that affects both parents. When children leave their parents' home, the parents experience such feelings as unhappiness, loss, fear, inability, difficulty in adjusting roles, and changing their relationships. The present study aimed to evaluate the cognitive flexibility and emotional self‐regulation of the elderly with ENS: benefits of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Methods The research method was quasi‐experimental where a pretest‐posttest design was used with a control group. The statistical population included all the elderly with the ENS in Tehran in the academic year of 2019–2020. Thirty of them were selected by convenience sampling method and then stochastically placed in two experimental and control groups. Dennis and VanderWal's Cognitive Flexibility Inventory, and Hofmann and Kashdan's Emotional Self‐Regulatory Questionnaire for data collection in the pretest and posttest phases. Group‐based ACT was implemented on experimental group members in 8 sessions of 90 min, while controls received no intervention. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS version 25 and analysis of covariance. Results The results showed a significant difference between the posttest scores of the experimental and control groups so the group‐based ACT increased the cognitive flexibility and emotional self‐regulation of the experimental group members (p < 0.05). Conclusions According to our results, therapists and health professionals can use ACT for interventions related to the health of the elderly with ENS, especially to improve cognitive flexibility and emotional self‐regulation.

Keywords

• acceptance and commitment therapy
• cognitive flexibility
• elderly
• emotional self‐regulation
• Empty nest syndrome