Effectiveness of a Positive Psychology-based and Character Strengths-integrated Activity Program on Depression, Vitality, Life Satisfaction in Elderly Living Alone in Rural Areas

Sang Mi Han; Yeongmi Ha

doi:10.12799/jkachn.2016.27.4.299

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Han and Ha: Effectiveness of a Positive Psychology-based and Character Strengths-integrated Activity Program on Depression, Vitality, Life Satisfaction in Elderly Living Alone in Rural Areas

Original Article

Journal of Korean Academy of Community Health Nursing 2016; 27(4): 299-308.

Published online: 31 December 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.12799/jkachn.2016.27.4.299

Effectiveness of a Positive Psychology-based and Character Strengths-integrated Activity Program on Depression, Vitality, Life Satisfaction in Elderly Living Alone in Rural Areas

Sang Mi Han¹, Yeongmi Ha²

¹Geochang Health Center, Geochang, Korea.

²College of Nursing · Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Korea.

Corresponding author: Ha, Yeongmi. College of Nursing, Gyeongsang National University, 816-15 beon-gil, Jinju-daero, Jinju 52727, Korea. Tel: +82-55-772-8253, Fax: +82-55-772-8222, yha@gnu.ac.kr

Received 1 May 2016 Revised 16 October 2016 Accepted 20 October 2016

(open-access):

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to develop a positive psychology-based and character strengths-integrated activity program for elders living alone in rural areas, and then to examine the effectiveness of the program.

Methods

A quasi-experimental pre- and post-test design with a nonequivalent control group was used. The participants included 59 elders in total, of whom 30 were assigned to the experimental group and 29 to the control group. positive psychology-based and character strengths-integrated activity program for elders consists of sixty-minute sessions held twice per week during 6 weeks, hence 12 sessions in total.

Results

There were significant differences between the experimental and control groups in depression, vitality and life satisfaction (all p<.001).

Conclusion

The positive psychology-based and character strengths-integrated activity program for elders living alone in rural areas is effective in that it decreased the degree of depression and increased the vitality and life satisfaction in the participants.

Keywords: Aged, Character, Depression, Quality of life

Figures and Tables

Table 1

A Character Strengths-based Integrated Activity Program on a Positive Psychology for Elderly Living Alone in Rural Areas

No	Themes	Concept of character strength	Contents of a character strengths-based integrated activity program on a positive psychology
1	Introduce myself	Vitality	Play activity (20 min)	- Introduce program
			Play activity (20 min)	- Make nickname
			Health activity (10 min)	- Health clapping with a song 'what's wrong with my age'
			Art activity (30 min)	- Introduce myself with music
			Art activity (30 min)	- Express my feelings
2	Who is best?	Vitality	Health activity (10 min)	- Health clapping with a song 'what's wrong with my age'
			Art activity (20 min)	- Be pride of lovely son and grandson
			Art activity (20 min)	- Make a soft ball with stocking
			Play activity (30 min)	- Game using a soft ball
			Play activity (30 min)	- Express my feelings
3	Song with a music instrument which I make	Vitality	Health activity (10 min)	- Health clapping with a song 'what's wrong with my age'
			Art activity (20 min)	- Make a music instrument 'Maracas' with a plastic bottle
			Play activity (30 min)	- Song 'Milyang Arirang' using a maracas
			Play activity (30 min)	- Express my feelings
4	I'm a best model	Vitality	Health activity (10 min)	- Health clapping with a song 'what's wrong with my age'
			Art activity (20 min)	- Talk about a dress which I like and I would like to wear
			Art activity (20 min)	- Make a dress with a disposable raincoat
			Play activity (30 min)	- Do a fashion show with a dress which I Make
			Play activity (30 min)	- Express my feelings
5	Lovely my hand	Gratitude and love	Health activity (10 min)	- Health clapping with a song 'what's wrong with my age'
			Art activity (50 min)	- Make my hand with a plaster
			Art activity (50 min)	- Express my feelings
6	Loving my friend	Gratitude and love	Health activity (10 min)	- Health clapping with a song 'what's wrong with my age'
			Art activity (50 min)	- Make a crown cap
				- Saying love you to their friends
				- Express my feelings
7	Present for my loving person	Gratitude and love	Health activity (10 min)	- Health clapping with a song 'what's wrong with my age'
			Art activity (50 min)	- Make a present with a clay for a loving person
			Art activity (50 min)	- Express my feelings
8	Being with you	Gratitude and love	Health activity (10 min)	- Health clapping with a song 'what's wrong with my age'
			Art activity (50 min)	- Doing a Group picture
			Art activity (50 min)	- Express my feelings
9	Wonderful myself	Hope	Health activity (10 min)	- Health clapping with a song 'what's wrong with my age'
			Art activity (20 min)	- Saying about their past event
			Art activity (20 min)	- Make their face with fabulous stickers
			Play activity (30 min)	- Take a picture of my laughing face with a polaroid camera
			Play activity (30 min)	- Express my feelings
10	Make a picture frame	Hope	Health activity (10 min)	- Health clapping with a song 'what's wrong with my age'
			Art activity (50 min)	- Make a picture frame with fabulous stickers
			Art activity (50 min)	- Express my feelings
11	Give a present to myself	Hope	Health activity (10 min)	- Health clapping with a song 'what's wrong with my age'
			Art activity (50 min)	- Make a candy necklace
			Art activity (50 min)	- Express my feelings
12	My wishes	Hope	Health activity (10 min)	- Health clapping with a song 'what's wrong with my age'
			Art activity (50 min)	- Saying about my hope and plan
				- Flying a Helium balloon with my hope and plan
				- Express my feelings

Table 2

Homogeneity Test of General Characteristics in Elderly Living Alone in a Rural Area (N=59)

Characteristics	Categories	Exp. (n=30)	Cont. (n=29)	x² or t (p)
Characteristics	Categories	n (%) or M±SD	n (%) or M±SD	x² or t (p)
Gender	Female	30 (100.0)	29 (100.0)	-
Age (year)		77.13±5.18	77.68±5.63	−0.39 (.695)
MMSE-KC		23.33±2.42	22.24±2.70	1.63 (.108)
Educational level^†	No education	20 (66.7)	26 (89.7)	5.03 (.081)
	Elementary school	8 (26.7)	3 (10.3)
	Middle school	2 (6.7)	0 (0.0)
Subjective health status^†	Good	2 (6.7)	0 (0.0)	2.74 (.577)
	Moderate	17 (56.7)	19 (63.3)
	Poor	11 (36.7)	11 (36.7)

Exp.=experimental group; Cont.=control group; ^†Fisher's exact test.

Table 3

Homogeneity Test of Characteristics in Elderly Living Alone in a Rural Area (N=59)

Characteristics	Exp. (n=30)	Cont. (n=29)	t (p)
Characteristics	M±SD	M±SD	t (p)
Depression (range: 0~15)	9.20±2.82	9.24±3.97	-0.05 (.963)
Vitality (range: 1~7)	3.02±0.56	3.28±0.71	−1.50 (.136)
Life satisfaction (range: 1~4)	2.27±0.22	2.35±0.24	−1.30 (.200)

Exp.=experimental group; Cont.=control group.

Table 4

Effectiveness of a Character Strengths-based Integrated Activity Program on Depression, Vitality, Life Satisfaction in Elderly Living Alone in Rural Areas (N=59)

Variables	Groups	Post		Post
Variables	Groups	M±SD	t (p)	M±SD	t (p)
Depression	Exp.	9.20±2.82	−0.05 (.963)	2.93±2.24	−10.78 (<.001)
Depression	Cont.	9.24±3.97	−0.05 (.963)	10.13±2.86	−10.78 (<.001)
Vitality	Exp.	3.02±0.56	−1.50 (.136)	4.83±0.63	9.17 (<.001)
Vitality	Cont.	3.28±0.71	−1.50 (.136)	3.21±0.72	9.17 (<.001)
Life satisfaction	Exp.	2.27±0.22	−1.30 (.200)	2.91±0.17	11.81 (<.001)
Life satisfaction	Cont.	2.35±0.24	−1.30 (.200)	2.23±0.25	11.81 (<.001)

Exp.=experimental group; Cont.=control group.

Notes

This manuscript is based on a part of the first author's master's thesis from Gyeongsang National University.

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