The Effectiveness of Positive Thinking Training on Psychological Well-Being and Quality of Life in the Elderly

Introduction: Nowadays, aging and its associated problems is a very important concern that has attracted the attention of different researchers with various scientific backgrounds to address this issue from various aspects. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of positive thinking on psychological well-being and Quality of Life (QOL) in the elderly. Materials and Methods: This semi-experimental study was carried out with pretest-posttest design using a control group and a one-month follow-up. The statistical population consisted of 80 elderly living in nursing centers in Lahijan, Iran in 2018. In this study, 30 subjects were randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups (n=15). Both groups completed the Ryff’s psychological well-being inventory and the QOL questionnaire. The experimental group was also subjected to positive thinking training. Finally, the collected data were analyzed by SPSS V. 22 software using the multivariate analysis of covariance. Results: The result showed that positive thinking training increased the scores of psychological well-being (P<0.01). It also had a positive effect on the QOL of the experimental group compared with the control group (P<0.01), as it increased the QOL score of the experimental group, whereas the control group’s score did not change. Conclusion: According to the results of the current study, positive thinking training can increase psychological well-being and QOL in the elderly.