Development and evaluation of the positive psychology intervention for older adults

Chun Yip Henry HO, Yuen Lan Dannii YEUNG, Sylvia Yuk Ching Lai KWOK

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72 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Although research suggests that positive psychology intervention can enhance subjective well-being and reduce depression, its effectiveness on older adults remains largely unknown. Therefore the present study aimed to develop and evaluate a custom-tailored positive psychology intervention program for older adults. The program offered nine-week group sessions to 74 older people recruited from district community centers and nursing homes in Hong Kong. The intervention program covers eight themes, including optimism, gratitude, savoring, happiness, curiosity, courage, altruism, and meaning of life. The participants consisted mostly of females aged between 63 and 105 years. One-group pre-test/post-test design was adopted to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention on depression, life satisfaction, gratitude, and happiness. Results revealed that the intervention reduced the number of depressive symptoms and increased the levels of life satisfaction, gratitude, and happiness. Effectiveness of the intervention is discussed in relation to self-awareness, education, self-reinforcement, and sensitivity to age and culture. Copyright © 2014 Taylor & Francis.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)187-197
JournalJournal of Positive Psychology
Volume9
Issue number3
Early online dateFeb 2014
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2014

Citation

Ho, H. C. Y., Yeung, D. Y., & Kwok, S. Y. C. L. (2014). Development and evaluation of the positive psychology intervention for older adults. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 9(3), 187-197. doi: 10.1080/17439760.2014.888577

Keywords

  • Positive psychology intervention
  • Depression
  • Life satisfaction
  • Gratitude
  • Subjective happiness

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