Examining the Effectiveness of Hope-Based Group Training on the Life Quality of the Elderly People

Objectives The rapid growth of the population, especially in developing countries, has led to adulthood phenomenon, which poses as one of the challenges of the public health. Therefore, it is necessary to pay close attention to this age group. This age group mostly suffers from psychological and physical problems. Psychologists have devised a variety of measures for tackling with these problems including disappointment, depression, and loneliness. However, after the emergence of positive psychology, scholars, instead of focusing on negative experience, deal with positive constructs such as self-control, spirituality, happiness, and hope. Therefore, this study attempts to investigate the effect of hope-based group training on the quality of life of the elderly.
Methods & Materials The present study adopted a semi-experimental design with pretest-posttest and group control. The study population comprised of all the elderly people in “Omid-e-Golestan Daily Center” in Minoodasht. Thirty participants were randomly selected out of 60 individuals, and divided into two groups namely control group and experimental group, each containing 15 participants. The 26-question Short Form Quality of Life Inventory developed by WHO, was used to collect the required data. After implementing the pretest, the experimental group received hope-based group training- for 1.5 hours in 8 sessions, once a week. The pretest was then repeated for the two groups, and the data was analyzed using the covariance analysis.
Results The findings of the study showed that hope-based group training not only enhanced the quality of life but also improved the physical dimension of the elderly in the experimental group .Furthermore, a significant improvement was noted in the psychological, environmental, and social life quality of the elderly (P≥0.05).
Conclusion Based on the results of the study, it was concluded that hope-based group training could significantly enhance the quality of life of the elderly. With the rapid increase in the number of elderly, hope-based group training is highly recommended.