The Effectiveness of Teaching Optimism in the Level of Depression and Life Satisfaction in Women on the Verge of Divorce

The present research aims at determining the effect of teaching optimism on the level of depression and life satisfaction in women on the verge of divorce in Qom. The research method was semi-empirical with pretest and posttest using a control group. To do the research, 30 women on the verge of divorce were randomly put in two groups (15 in control group and 15 in experiment group). The independent variable was optimism which was presented to the experiment group during 14 sessions. No manipulation was done in the control group. The research devices were Beck’s depression scale (BDI-II) and Diener’s Life Satisfaction scale (SWLS). To analyze the data, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used. The findings showed that optimism is effective in reducing women’s depression and increasing their life satisfaction. This was in line with the findings of previous researches. The findings prepare useful information on the effectiveness of optimism for researchers, consultants and psychotherapists.