A Hope Intervention Compared to Friendly Visitors as a Technique to Reduce Depression among Older Nursing Home Residents

Abstract

Depression is common among older persons. An experimental study was undertaken to test the impact of a four-week hope program on depressed nursing home residents. Residents aged 65 or older, who met the criteria for this pilot study and agreed to participate, were randomly assigned to (a) an intervention group, and provided with weekday hope interventions mainly involving positive messages and pictures or (b) a modified control group, and provided with a friendly weekday greeting. The structured hope intervention was not proven effective for reducing depression or raising hope. Instead, a significant reduction in depression among the control subjects was found, as well as a nonsignificant increase in their level of hope. Although these findings suggest friendly visitors may be a more efficacious nonpharmacological approach for reducing depression, further investigations are needed to confirm this and to explore the impact of other hope interventions.

Effect of Group-Based Hope Intervention on Depression in Female Inmates

“…Findings revealed that the group-based hope intervention had a significant and better effect in lowering depression level. This is in line with the previous research where group-based hope intervention had been proven effective to reduce the level of depression of survivors of Merapi volcanic eruption (Retnowati et al, 2015), hemodialysis patients (Rahimipour et al, 2015), mothers of cancer survivors (Shekarabi-Ahari et al, 2012), nurses in nursing homes (Wilson et al, 2010), and elderlies in nursing homes (Farzadegan et al, 2016). This study also shows the hope intervention process influenced depressive symptoms varying from each domain, namely cognitive, affective, and somatic, through a process of self-understanding to recognize problems, strengths, and weaknesses so that they can change negative views of that was believed (Fitriana & Hadjam, 2016).…”

Therapeutic Vaccines: Hope Therapy and Its Effects on Psychiatric Symptoms among Infertile Women

“…Hope therapy helps people to consider and categorize definite goals, select various ways to achieve their goals, identify barriers and consider related challenges to be overcome ( Clarke, 2003 ; Irving et al, 1997 ; Wilson et al, 2010 ; Chang & Disimone, 2001 ). Su, Tsann-Juu and Yueh-Chih Chen (2006) stated that hope was one of the main effective factors in successful IVF.…”

Positive Psychology Intervention to Alleviate Child Depression and Increase Life Satisfaction

“…Hope is defined as a human strength manifested in the capacities to (a) set specific goals with appropriate difficulty level (goal), (b) develop several specific strategies to attain a goal (pathway), and (c) mobilize and maintain the motivation in goal pursuit process (agency; Snyder, 1994). Using the key word of ''hope intervention'' or ''hope therapy'' to search in PsycINFO from 2000 to 2014, we identified 10 published studies (Berg et al, 2008;Cheavens, Feldman, Gum, Michael, & Snyder, 2006;Duggleby et al, 2007;Feldman & Dreher, 2012;Klausner, Synder, & Cheavens, 2000;MacLeod et al, 2008;Rustøen, Cooper, & Miaskowski, 2011;Rustøen & Hanestad, 1998;Wilson et al, 2010). All of the studies adopted Snyder's (1994) definition of hope and designed intervention protocols to improve goal setting and planning skills, foster hopeful thinking, and enhance goal pursuit activities.…”