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Improving psychological wellbeing in aging
Journal Title: RICERCHE DI PSICOLOGIA  
Author/s: Alessandra Cantarella, Veronica Muffato, Erika Borella, Davide Pacher, Rossana De Beni 
Year:  2015 Issue: 1 Language: Italian 
Pages:  13 Pg. 109-121 FullText PDF:  215 KB
DOI:  10.3280/RIP2015-001006
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There is evidence to suggest that psychological wellbeing can be improved by training focusing on life satisfaction, flourishing, resilience and self-efficacy, derived from positive psychology. Training studies have shown that: i) the efficacy of training depends on age, suggesting that it would be particularly effective in older people; and ii) it can promote emotional competences and coping strategies in people with high levels of anxiety or low mood, even if the training does not focus on a particular psychological disorder. The objectives of this study were to analyze the efficacy of Lab.I Emotional-Motivational Empowerment training in elderly adults, comparing an experimental group with a control group (Study 1), and participants with "low" versus "high" levels of wellbeing (Study 2). Transfer effects were also analyzed. Study 1 showed a significant improvement in psychological wellbeing and some of its component constructs, and a generalization effect on quality of life (assessed with the WHOQOL) and on a working memory task. Study 2 showed a greater benefit of the training in people with a low than in those with a high level of wellbeing, with a generalization effect on a working memory task. Positive psychology training thus seems to be a valid approach in aging.
Keywords: Well-being, aging, training

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Alessandra Cantarella, Veronica Muffato, Erika Borella, Davide Pacher, Rossana De Beni, Improving psychological wellbeing in aging in "RICERCHE DI PSICOLOGIA " 1/2015, pp. 109-121, DOI:10.3280/RIP2015-001006

   

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