Effectiveness of meaning of group therapy on quality of life and change of insecure attachment style on the elderly of Rasht city

Dissertation for Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology

Abstract

Introduction: Aging is the most sensitive and risky period of a person's life, and the basis of the spiritual and spiritual character of humans is established at this stage. And changing the attachment style is unsafe for the elderly in Rasht. In this experimental study, which is of pre-test-post-test type, and the random sampling method was available and the sample size was 200 people (100 women and 100 men) and the research community was all the elderly residents of the nursing home for the elderly and the disabled in Rasht city. They were selected from among the elderly who are members of the nursing home in Rasht city in 2013-2014, and group meaning therapy method was worked on them and the questionnaire The quality of life and insecure attachment style were taken. The results of data analysis confirmed the effectiveness of group meaning therapy between the quality of life and changing the insecure attachment style of the elderly using the current correlation. It also confirmed the following effectiveness. There is a significant relationship between the group meaning therapy scale and quality of life. There is also a relationship between group meaning therapy and the change of insecure attachment style. The best method of analyzing the extracted data of this research is multivariate analysis of covariance using spss. For this research, according to the pre- and post-test scores obtained from the two experimental and control groups among the elderly in Rasht city (with a confidence level of 0.95 percent), there is a statistically significant difference, and in two hypotheses H0 is rejected and H1 is confirmed.

Discussion and conclusion: The study showed that group meaning therapy seems to have an effect on the quality of life and changing the insecure attachment style.

Key words: group meaning therapy - quality of life - insecure attachment style - the elderly.

Introduction:

Global surveys show. that the population of the elderly is increasing due to the improvement of the level of health (Tajur., 2013) At present, 25 percent of the population of advanced societies are made up of elderly people (Farzianpour, 2013), more than 4 million elderly people over the age of 60 live in our country, and this figure is expected to reach more than 10 million in the next 20 years (Mohtasham Amiri, 2014). Aging population can create deep challenges that require proper planning and changing biological and psychological factors. Social can make the elderly prone to mental disorders. (Nesbit [1]. 2000) Depression and anxiety are the most common mental disorders of the elderly (Stucks, [2] 2003). Studies have shown that 24% of the elderly suffer from subclinical depression and 30% from major depression, and the prevalence of anxiety in women is 30.5% throughout their lives and in men it is 19.2% throughout their lives (Wang [3]). 2003). Nowadays, people of all ages with different medical and mental diagnoses benefit from the benefits of group therapy as a treatment method in mental health. It is one of the types of short-term groups. It is a therapy that is used in all age groups, especially in the elderly group, in order to improve the level of mental health. In a general view, meaning therapy is a spent life that has been accompanied by special events, the benefits of meaning therapy. By building memories and interests, it can become the meaning of life.  Clarifying the feeling towards oneself. Creating preparation for other events in life, which includes death (Sadegh Moghadam, et al., 2014).

Meaning therapy may take place in a group through person-to-person interactions. In meaning therapy, participants are encouraged to share their memories and interests in life. The leader of the group can remind and stimulate people's memory through the use of images or affection. (Ansett Behl, Nigel., 2007), Hatuka Vavi Mar (2004) in the study of the impact of life review states that life review has a helpful role in supporting the mental health and progress of the elderly, as well as long-term effects in improving the quality of life of the elderly. Hanukkah (2004) Al Ford et al. (2005) (In examining the benefits of meaning therapy by helping emotional release, it leads to the creation of satisfaction and happiness and the improvement of mental health and quality of life.Hanukkah (2004) L. Ford et al. (2005) in a review of the benefits of meaning therapy by helping emotional release leads to the creation of satisfaction and happiness and improving mental health and quality of life (L. Ford[4]., 2005) Therefore, considering that the population is aging and old age is a sensitive period of human life, and paying attention to the issues and needs of this stage is a social necessity. (Carson [5]., 2000)

Statement of the problem:

The process of aging [6] is called senescence from the Latin root senescence which means aging and is characterized by the decline in the performance of all body systems, vascular, respiratory, reproductive. However, the belief that old age without exception is accompanied by physical defects and deep intelligence is nothing more than a myth, most elderly people maintain their cognitive and physical ability to a significant extent (Kaplan-Sadok [7]., 2003). However, in the opinion of some elderly people, the life of the unfortunate ones is blurred, and their vision is sensitive. It makes them suffer and worry. Sometimes they become so helpless and trapped that they soon pass out. These sensitivities increase in relation to the internal affairs and details of life, and the vitality disappears. They become weaker and weaker. And their interest in life decreases continuously (Mohtashmi. Noghani., 2010)

due to the improvement of the level of health in most countries, including Iran. The elderly population is increasing. It is estimated that in 2050, the world's elderly population will exceed the population of children under 14 years old. (Tarkashon, 1388) The Statistics Center of the Islamic Republic of Iran predicts that the population of 1400 elderly people aged 60 and above will reach ten million people (Iran Statistics Center, 1382) while in proportion to these changes, adequate and appropriate treatment measures have not been taken into account to improve the physical and mental health of the elderly, which overshadows the lives of the elderly more than the physical disorders specific to this era. Cognitive and mental disorders belong to this period of life (Terkashund, 2018).

Mental disorders in the elderly are often different from the disorders of younger adults in terms of their pathological and physiological manifestations, and they do not always correspond to the DSM-IV-TR classes. The diagnosis and treatment of elderly adults is associated with more problems compared to the treatment of younger people. They have to take many drugs chronically and show more cognitive degradation. (Kaplan-Sadok., 2003).

One of the most common disorders of loneliness in the elderly is depression. It is meaningless. At the usual clinical level, depression is a symptom that is dominated by mood and based on the verbal or non-verbal expression of sad emotions, anxiety or excited states are shown (Dadestan., 2013).

The studies conducted showed that 24% The elderly suffer from subclinical depression and 30% of them suffer from depression.

Due to the fact that this group is different from other people in the society, as well as the type of diagnosis and treatment of these people, the psychological treatments that have been used so far for the specific mental disorders of the elderly are insufficient and have not been able to respond to this group isolated from the population.  In the current research, in order to improve the level of mental health and reduce and improve the symptoms of depression and anxiety in the elderly, a simple, inexpensive technique can be implemented under the title of group meaning therapy, which is a long-term group therapy.  and it has been neglected. It is used that it can be easily used in all care centers for the elderly and even at home.   Meaning therapy, elderly people who have a sense of loneliness and meaninglessness show a greater tendency to withdraw from themselves. He is the second most important characteristic of human beings when it comes to three things: Meaning therapy tries to make the client search for purpose and purpose in his life and helps the client to access the highest possible vital activity.