The Effectiveness of Group Gestalt Therapy on Hope and Loneliness in Older Women

Elderly is a sensitive period of human life, in which individuals exposed to potential threats such as increased chronic illness, loneliness and isolation, and lack of social support, and due to physical and mental disabilities, in cases, many of their autonomy is threatened. Therefore, attention to the issues and needs of this stage of life is a social necessity. The statistics show that at present, the country experiences the transition from age to age. Life expectancy is one of the issues of today's age in health care and is one of the biggest health goals for improving the health of individuals and in recent years has recognized as one of the most critical factors affecting the lives of people, especially the elderly and the disabled. Life expectancy is a statistical indicator that indicates how long a lifetime is in a society, or, in other words, how many members of that community can expect to live for some years. On the other hand, with age and the onset of aging, older adults gradually lose some of their physiological and psychosocial functions. Denial of social activities tends to depress seniors and increase their sense of loneliness. Evidence suggests that loneliness is a widespread phenomenon, and 25 to 50 percent of the total population over 65 years of age experience it regarding age and gender. Therefore, in order to find an effective way to reduce the sense of loneliness, frustration and mental problems of the elderly, and considering that gestalt therapy is about empowering the elderly in full self-esteem and emphasizing awareness and that life at any moment must be fully informed and present. The need for ongoing research should be considered. This study aimed to investigate the effect of group gestalt therapy on increasing hope and reducing loneliness in elderly women. The research was quasi-experimental with pre-test and post-test design with the control group. The statistical population of this study consisted of all elderly women in Kerman who resided in nursing homes in 1397. Among the elderly residents, two randomized centers were selected and then, referring to these two centers, 24 elderly women were selected randomly and divided into two groups of experimental and control groups (12 each). The experimental group received eight sessions of group therapy. The control group did not receive an intervention during this period. The research tools included Miller's Life Expectancy Questionnaire (1997) and Russell et al. (1980). After eight sessions, gestalt therapy again performed from both groups. Data were analyzed using SPSS 20 software, frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation and covariance at a significant level (P<0.001). The results showed that after comparing the mean scores and standard deviation of the pre-test and post-test of the two groups, the mean scores and standard deviation of the experimental group in the post-test were significantly different from the pre-test. The results of covariance analysis showed that group gestalt therapy had a significant effect on life expectancy and loneliness in elderly women (P<0.001). According to the findings of this study, group gestalt therapy with an emphasis on the present, awareness, and feeling of being perfect helps the elderly to assume responsibility for their lives. Additionally, the elderly find that there is no need for dependence on others and that an independent creature can be created; and aging is part of the process of human development. Hence, they can overcome their sense of loneliness and improve their liveliness. In the field of application, it suggested that in nursing homes, the group's gestalt therapy program should be used as a proposed treatment. By teaching gastalt therapies to the elderly, effective steps can be taken to improve their mental and physical health.