The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Irrational Beliefs and Happiness of the Elderly

Aging is a natural and sensitive period in a person’s life that is associated with a wide range of physiological and psychological changes, including the increase of irrational beliefs and the decrease of happiness. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on irrational beliefs and happiness in the elderly in Kermanshah, Iran. This was a quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population included all the elderly living in Kermanshah in 2021, among whom 30 (60 to 70 years) were selected using convenience sampling and according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study, and assigned randomly into experimental (n=15) and control (n=15) groups. The experimental group received the therapeutic intervention in eight 90-minute sessions, while the control group was placed on a waiting list for treatment in the same time. The measures used in this study included the Jones’s Irrational Beliefs and the Oxford Happiness Questionnaires. Data were analyzed using Univariate Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) in SPSS-25 software. The results indicated that there was a significant difference between experimental and control groups in the post-test in terms of both irrational beliefs and happiness. In other words, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy caused the elderly to experience fewer irrational beliefs and more level of happiness (P<0.05). According to the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, therapists and health professionals can apply this therapeutic method for health-related interventions, especially to improve irrational beliefs and happiness in the elderly.