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The effectiveness of an educational intervention to enhance happiness in Iranian older people: Applying social support theory
Author(s) -
Moeini Babak,
Barati Majid,
Farhadian Maryam,
Heydari Ara Milad
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
australasian journal on ageing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.63
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1741-6612
pISSN - 1440-6381
DOI - 10.1111/ajag.12702
Subject(s) - happiness , intervention (counseling) , psychology , life satisfaction , social support , mental health , significant difference , clinical psychology , gerontology , social psychology , medicine , psychiatry
Objective The aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness of an educational program based on social support theory (SST) to enhance happiness in older adults (60‐75 years) in Hamadan (Iran) in 2017. Methods This study was a quasi‐experimental intervention with a control group, consisting of 60 participants and an intervention group of 40 participants. The research instruments included the Oxford Argyle Happiness Inventory and a questionnaire derived from SST. Results The findings showed that there was a significant difference between the scores of happiness, social support and their components in the intervention group compared to the control group three months after the intervention. Conclusion The study results indicate that an educational intervention to promote happiness using social support can play a pivotal role in the mental health, life satisfaction and happiness of older adults.