نشریه روانشناسی پیری
سال نهم شماره 3 (پیاپی 34، پاییز 1402)

Choosing appropriate treatment methods that help to solve the problems of older adults will be a great help for human societies. Feelings of loneliness (FOL) is one of the important problems of older adults that affects the health, well-being and longevity of them, and any effort to solve it seems necessary. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of comparing the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and spirituality therapy on FOL in older adults. This was a quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest-follow-up design with a control group. The statistical population of the research was made up of older adults who were member of neighborhood community centers in Tehran in 2022. The sample of the research consisted of included 54 older people aged 60-75 years, selected using convenience sampling method and according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and randomly assigned into two experimental groups with 17 members each (MBCT and spiritual therapy) and a control group with 20 members. The measure was Russell et al.’s Loneliness Questionnaire. One of the experimental groups underwent eight 90-minute sessions of MBCT based on the guidelines of Tizdel et al. and the other experimental group received ten sessions of spiritual therapy based on the instructions of Waziri et al. The data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in SPSS-24. The results indicated that both MBCT and spirituality therapy groups significantly reduced FOL compared to the control group in both the post-test and follow-up phases (P<.01). However, there was no significant difference between the two therapeutic methods in both the post-test and follow-up phases in reducing FOL (P>.05). Based on the findings of this research, it is suggested to use MBCT and spiritual therapy as therapeutic methods to help reduce FOL in older adults.

Today, paying attention to older adults and trying to improve their psychological health seems highly important. Therefore, identifying the potential factors that can affect the reduction or increase their psychological distress appear to be crucial and significant for early diagnosis and prevention of psychological distress. Consequently, this study aimed to investigate the mediating role of loneliness in the relationship between activities of daily living (ADLs) and psychological distress in older adults. This was a correlational study, of path analysis type. The statistical population included all older adults living in Ilam, Iran in 2022, among whom 385 were selected using convenience sampling method. The participants of this study filled out Lovibond’s depression, anxiety and stress scale, Mahoney and Barthel’s ADLs questionnaire and the Russell et al.’s loneliness questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and path analysis in SPSS-25 and Amos-25 software, respectively. The results of path analysis demonstrated that there is a negative direct relationship between ADLs and loneliness, a negative direct relationship between ADLs and psychological distress, and a positive direct relationship between loneliness and psychological distress. ADLs also had an indirect and significant relationship with psychological distress through the mediating role of loneliness (p<.05, β=-.17). According to the results of the current research, it can be said that targeting the ADLs and loneliness in relation to treatments and psychological services can be effective for older adults. Therefore, it is suggested that counselors and psychologists working in the field of older adults take a constructive step in reducing the psychological distress of older adults by using measures to help reduce their feeling of loneliness.

Elder abuse is a new type of domestic violence, which despite its high prevalence, its numerous consequences and psychological effects, receives less attention. Impairment in cognitive function and emotional health is found highly in older adults with experience of violence and abuse. Thus, the current study aimed to compare cognitive abilities (CAs) and emotional well-being (EWB) in older adults with and without experience of abuse. This was a causal-comparative study, of retrospective type. The statistical population included older men and women who referred to the retirement centers of Rasht, Iran in 2022-2023, among whom 164 people (72 with abuse experience and 92 without abuse experience) were selected using convenience sampling (based on the cut-off score of 4 in Hwalek-Sengstock’s elder abuse screening test and the elder abuse clinical interview). Data were collected using Nejati’s CAs questionnaire and Keyes and Magyar-Moe’s EWB scale. The Data were analyzed by Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) in SPSS-24 software. The results indicated that EWB and CAs (including memory, inhibitory control and selective attention, sustained attention, planning, decision making, cognitive flexibility) except for component of social cognition were lower in older adults with abuse experience in comparison to that of older adults without abuse experience (P<.001). These findings state that the experience of abuse has a destructive effect on CAs and EWB in older adults. Meanwhile, defects in CAs and EWB, as a risk factor, can provide the basis for elder abuse. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to these variables in the design of preventive programs to prevent elder abuse as much as possible or design appropriate protocols for every older individual with experience of abuse.

The older adults are subject to loneliness and isolation, and due to physical and mental disabilities, their individual independence is threatened in many cases. The set of these conditions leads to a decrease in the quality of life and ultimately to a decrease in happiness and life expectancy in older adults. As a result, this study aimed to determine the effectiveness of drama therapy on increasing the happiness and life expectancy of older women. This was a quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population included all older women residing in nursing homes in Qom, Iran in 2023, among whom 30 people (65 to 80 years old) were selected using convenience sampling method and with regarded to the inclusion criteria, and randomly assigned into experimental and control groups. The experimental group received eight 90-minute sessions of drama therapy and the control group did not receive any training. The content of the sessions was derived from Moreno's perspective on drama therapy. Participants responsed the Oxford happiness questionnaire and Snyder’s life expectancy test. The data were analyzed using univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in SPSS-26 software. The results showed that drama therapy led to a significant increase in happiness and life expectancy in the experimental group (P<.01). Based on the results, it is recommended that counselors and psychologists of nursing homes take advantages of drama therapy along with other methods to improve happiness and life expectancy in older adults.

Poor sleep quality is one of the most common challenges faced by the older adults. Due to the many changes that occur during old age, doing some sports seems to be difficult for older adults. Yoga can be considered as a suitable option for anyone, at any age and with any physical condition, to improve the sleep quality of older adults. Therefore, the current research was conducted with the aim of determining the effectiveness of yoga on the sleep quality in older adults. This was a quasi-experimental with pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population included all the older men who were member of day rehabilitation centers in Yazd, Iran in 2020, among whom 30 older men (65 to 80 years old) were selected using convenience sampling and according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and were randomly assigned into experimental and control groups (15 people in each group). The data collection tool was the Petersburg sleep quality test. a 12-week intervention, attending two 90-minute sessions per week in the rehabilitation center, while the control group did not receive any yoga exercise program during this period. Research data were analyzed through univariate analysis of covariance in SPSS-22 software. The findings of the research showed that yoga has a positive effect on the quality of sleep of people over 60 years old and improves performance in this area. As a result, according to the findings, it is possible to advise the older adults to take advantages of yoga as a suitable method to increase their health and sleep quality.

Cognitive disorders and decline in quality of life are common changes in old age that cause a wide range of problems. In order to increase the level of health and performance of the ever-increasing older adults’ population, it is necessary to understand their conditions and needs. Therefore, the current research was conducted with the aim of investigating the effectiveness of selected perceptual-motor exercises on working memory and quality of life in older women. This research was a semi-experimental one, with pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population of this research included all inactive older women over 60 years old living in nursing homes in Tehran. The sample of the study included 40 people selected using convenience sampling and based on the inclusion criteria and randomly assigned into control and experimental groups. The participants completed the Folstein’s mini–mental state examination, the World Health Organization Quality of Life and the Wechsler Memory Questionnaire. The experimental group participated in the perceptual-motor training program for eight weeks, three 45-minute sessions per week. The control group did their daily activities during this time. After the training program, both groups completed the questionnaires again. To analysis the data, Univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in SPSS-20 software were used (P≤.05). The results of ANCOVA after the training intervention showed a significant improvement in the posttest scores of the experimental group in terms of working memory (P=.007) and quality of life (P=.001) compared to that of the control group. According to the results of this research, it is suggested to older adults to use perceptual-motor exercises in order to improve their cognitive and physical health, according to their individual ability and environmental facilities.

The ever-increasing papulation of older people, the prolongation of life and the passing of a significant part of people’s lives in the third and fourth periods of life, have led to tremendous and profound changes in society and social subsystems. As it is essential to descript the fear of aging and the investigation of its effects on the whole personal and interpersonal life of older adults, the Identification and study of possible variables involved in this type of studies can be a way to control and reduce the negative effects of this ambiguous experience. This was a descriptive study, of correlational type. The statistical population of the research included all older men and women aged 65 to 80 years old living in Ilam, Iran in 2021, among whom 300 people (140 men and 160 women) were selected by convenience sampling and according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. The measures included Steger et al.’s meaning of life, Neff’s self-compassion, Wax et al.’s perceived social support, and Lasher and Falkander’s fear of old age questionnaires. The data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and univariate regression analysis in SPSS-26 software. The results of Pearson’s correlation coefficient figured out that there is a significant correlation between fear of aging with meaning of life (r=-.46), self-compassion (r=-.59) and perceived social support (r=-.47). The results of univariate regression analysis indicated that the meaning of life (β=-.459, P<.001), self-compassion (β=.001, P<.520) and perceived social support (P<.001, β=-.575) can negatively predict the fear of aging in older adults. Therefore, psychologists working in the field of aging are suggested to take advantages of promoting meaning in life, self-compassion and perceived social support to reduce the fear of aging in the elderly.