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Effect of Positive Psychotherapy on Psychological Well-Being, Happiness, Life Expectancy and Depression Among Retired Teachers with Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial

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Abstract

Despite conducting numerous positive psychotherapy (PPT) tests, the effects of such activities in participants aged 50 and above have been dealt with by few studies. Therefore, the effects of PPT on psychological well-being (PWB), happiness, expectancy life (LX) and depression of retired teachers with depression, was investigated using a randomized controlled trial. In this study, 60 female teachers aged 55–80 years, who obtained the lowest scores in the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), were randomly divided into the two PPT (n = 30) and untreated groups (n = 30) at the time of entering the study and 2 months later following their assessments through the Psychological Well-Being Scales-Short (PWBS-S), Oxford Happiness Inventory (OHI), Adult Hope Scale (AHS) and BDI-II. The PPT and untreated groups took part in 10 group sessions and underwent no interventions, respectively. The study was completed with a total number of 52 female teachers (n = 26 per group). The PPT group showed some effectiveness on the variables of PWBS-S, OHI, AHS and BDI-II in a way that the involved retired teachers with depression increased their PWB, happiness and LE after PPT training and teachers reduced their BDI-II after intervention (p < 0.05). PPT can be used in order to increase the level of PWB, happiness, and LX, along with depression symptoms decreasing amongst retired teachers with the age of 55, and also more than that.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology and Education, Faculty of Humanities, Yasouj University, Yasouj, Iran

    Ali Taghvaienia & Nahid Alamdari

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  1. Ali Taghvaienia
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  2. Nahid Alamdari
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Correspondence to Ali Taghvaienia.

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This study was approved by the Yasouj University of Medical Sciences and the authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Taghvaienia, A., Alamdari, N. Effect of Positive Psychotherapy on Psychological Well-Being, Happiness, Life Expectancy and Depression Among Retired Teachers with Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Community Ment Health J 56, 229–237 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-019-00471-z

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