نشریه روانشناسی پیری
سال هفتم شماره 1 (پیاپی 24، بهار 1400)

Distress tolerance seems to be one of the factors that can have a significant impact on mental health and quality of life in the elderly. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the role of experiential avoidance, rumination and mindfulness in predicting distress tolerance in elderly of Isfahan province (Isfahan and Kashan). The method of the present study was correlational and the statistical population included all elderly people aged 60 to 75 years living in Isfahan and Kashan nursing homes in 2020, of which 380 were selected using convenience sampling. Used to collect data were Simmons and Gaher’s distress tolerance, Bond et al.’s acceptance and practice, Nolen-Hoxma and Moro’s ruminant response style and Bauer et al.’s mindfulness questionnaires. Data were analyzed using correlation coefficient and linear regression analysis in SPSS software version 22. The results of correlation test showed that distress tolerance is negatively associated with experimental avoidance and rumination as well as positively associated with mindfulness (p≤0.05). Moreover, the results of enter regression analysis also showed that experimental avoidance (β=-0.11), rumination (β=-0.45) and mindfulness (β=0.11) can predict distress tolerance in the elderly. According to the results of the present study, promoting distress tolerance through the training of mindfulness skills and appropriate coping styles, we can empower the elderly against such problems as loss of physical strength, illness, loneliness and disability.

The spread of the Coronavirus is a challenge for healthcare systems all around the world. The elderly are at high risk for complications from Coronavirus due to low immune system function and underlying diseases. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the causal modeling of Corona anxiety in the elderly based on perceived stress and sense of cohesion with the mediating role of perceived social support. The research method was descriptive, of structural equations type. The statistical population included all the elderly living in nursing homes in Ardabil in 2020, from which 160 were selected using purposive sampling. Used to collect data were Alipour et al.'s Corona Anxiety Scale, Sense of Coherence- 13 scale of Antonovsky, Calhoun et al.'s Perceived Stress Scale, and Zimet et al.'s Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Data were analyzed by structural equation modeling using SPSS-23 and Lisrel 8.8 software. Based on the obtained results, the causal model confirmed the relationship between perceived stress, sense of cohesion, perceived social support and corona anxiety in the elderly based on different fitness indices (P<0.05). Perceived stress, sense of cohesion, and perceived social support had a direct effect on corona anxiety in the elderly. Besides, perceived stress and sense of cohesion had an indirect effect on corona anxiety in the elderly through perceived social support (P<0.05). Thus, in the context of the Covid-19 epidemic, it is possible to play an important role in reducing coronary anxiety in the elderly by informing and applying measures to empower the elderly in the areas of perceived stress, sense of cohesion, and perceived social support.

Feeling guilty and anxiety are part of the most important human experiences, especially in the elderly, which can affect their mental health. Hence, identifying the factors that affect them is of particular importance. Therefore, this study aimed to predict feeling guilty and anxiety based on existential concerns in the elderly. The present study was a descriptive study, of correlational type. The statistical population included non-resident elderly in the nursing homes of districts one, three, and five of Tehran, Iran in 2019, among which a sample of 150 people were selected using convenience sampling method. The research tools included existential anxiety questionnaire (Massoudi Sani et al.,) guilt inventory (Kugler & Jones) and Anxiety Inventory (Cattle). The collected data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis. The results showed that sense of responsibility and death anxiety had positive and significant relationship with feeling guilty, existential concerns (meaninglessness, sense of responsibility, loneliness and death anxiety) were positively and significantly related to anxiety. The results of multiple regression analyses also revealed that 11% of the variance of feeling guilty and 22% of the variance of anxiety was explained by existential concerns. Therefore, according to the findings, it can be said that using strategies to reduce the existential concerns of the elderly seems to be an effective measure to reduce their feeling guilty and anxiety.

Aging seems to be a biological process that all living beings, including humans, experience. Hence, it is important to pay careful attention to the elderly and to prevent disorders such as irrational beliefs and negative attitude towarddeath among the elderly. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to consider the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on irrational beliefs and negative attitude towarddeath in the elderly. It was a quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest and control group design. The statistical population of the study included all the elderly men in Khoram Abad, Iran in 2020. The sample size consisted of 30 elderly people (60 to 70 years old) selected using available sampling method and according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The experimental group received eight 90-minute weekly sessions of ACT. The applied questionnaires in the study included Ahvaz irrational beliefs test and Wong et al.’s death attitude profile. Data were analyzed using univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in SPSS-22 software. The results showed that there was a significant difference between experimental and control groups in terms of irrational beliefs and negative attitude toward deathin posttest (P<0.001). That is, ACT resulted in the decrease of irrational beliefs and negative attitude toward death. According to the findings of the present study, ACT can be suggested as an efficient method in order to reduction of irrational beliefs and negative attitude toward deathin the elderly.

The ageing period is associated with losses, such as loss of social status, spouse, and so on, which reduces the resilience of the elderly against the difficulties and hardships of life, in turn, reduces life satisfaction in the elderly. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to survey the effectiveness of the self-compassion training on life satisfaction and resilience of the elderly women. This quasi-experimental study was of pretest-posttest and control group design with a follow-up. The statistical population consisted of all the elderly women (about 500) who were under rehabilitation, education and care in nursing homes as well as rehabilitation, education and care centers supervising by welfare-organization in Guilan, Iran in 2020. A sample of 30 individuals were selected using purposeful sampling method along with inclusion and exclusion criteria, and randomly assigned into two groups with 15 members in each. The experimental group received eight sessions of Gilbert ̓s self-compassion training and control group received no intervention at the same time. Participants were evaluated using Diener et al.’s Life Satisfaction Questionnaire and Conner & Davidson’s Resilience Questionnaire. Used to analyze the data was Univariate Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The results of revealed that self-compassion increased life satisfaction and resilience of the elderly women and this increase was permanent in the follow-up step (P<0.05). Therefore, based on the findings, self-compassion training can be used as an effective model in nursing homes to promote resilience, life satisfaction and positive psychological characteristics of the elderly women.

Elderly is one of the most important periods of every person’s life, which can have negative physical and psychological consequences for the individual, family and society if not spent with satisfaction and quality. Due to the change in the age structure of Iran's population from youth into old age, many researchers have considered the predictor variables of the life satisfaction in this age group. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to predict life satisfaction based on attachment styles and gratitude in the elderly. This was a descriptive study of correlational type. The statistical population consisted of the all elderly living in nursing homes of Yazd, Iran, among which Fatemeh Al-Zahra nursing home in Taft was selected. Selected using convenience sampling method were 110 people who filled out the satisfaction with life scale (Diener et al.), experiences in close relationships-revised (Brennan, Clark & Shaver), gratitude questionnaire (McCullough et al). The obtained data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis in SPSS-24 software. The results obtained from Pearson’s correlation coefficient indicated that among the predictor variables, avoidance attachment and gratitude respectively, had negative and positive correlation with life satisfaction, but there was no significant relationship between anxious attachment and life satisfaction. Besides, regression analysis showed that among avoidance attachment and gratitude variables, it was only gratitude that predicted life satisfaction significantly (p < 0.05). Gratitude could explain 44% of the variance of life satisfaction. Based on the mentioned results, gratitude as a positive and valuable characteristic, predicts life satisfaction in the elderly, through affecting social interactions and inducing positive change in one’s outlook on life.

Psychological well-being decreases in the elderly, which in turn may affect the risk of disease. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the psychological well-being of the elderly and identify the factors associated with it. Accordingly, the present study was to consider the role of self-compassion and alexithymia in the psychological well-being of the elderly. The method of the present study was descriptive-correlational. The statistical population included all the elderly living in nursing homes of Qazvin in the summer of 2020, among whome 92 people were selected using convenience sampling based on Krejcie and Morgan table. They completed the self-compassion scale (Neff), alexithymia scale (Bagbi et al.) and psychological well-being scale-short form (Ryff). Pearson’s correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression test were used to analyze the data in SPSS software version 24 at the significance level of 0.05. The results showed that there was a direct and significant relationship between self-compassion (r=0.8) and its components with psychological well-being (P<0.01), as well as a significant inverse relationship between alexithymia (r=-0.777) and its components with psychological well-being (P<0.01). Besides, alexithymia and self-compassion explained 75.3% of the variance of psychological well-being. Therefore, counsellors and psychologists working in the field of elderly are recommended to enhance the psychological well-being of the elderly through using measures for the improvement of their self-compassion and the decrease of their alexithymia.