Happiness And Enhancement: Positive Psychology Hypnosis For Better Mental Health And Well-Being In Older Adults

Abstract

This study proposed an early psychological intervention for promoting mental health and well-being in older adults. The study is significant since there are the needs for such interventions for this age group that is becoming a major world population. The aim of this research was to investigate the efficacy of the proposed positive psychology hypnosis intervention (PPHI) in promoting mental well-being in older adults, the participants’ subjective experience, and perceived changes in their mental well-being after receiving the intervention. The PPHI was developed by applying positive psychology’s well-being model and theory, as well as positive psychological exercises. In addition, hypnosis was used as a delivery approach. The study examined the effectiveness of the PPHI using a randomised controlled trial involving a mixed- methods design, where the PPHI was compared to relaxation intervention and control group. The participants were generally healthy adults aged 60 and over. It was hypothesised that the PPHI would be more effective than the relaxation intervention in terms of well-being enhancement and would present significant effects compared to the control group. The data was collected via questionnaires before and after the 4- session intervention process, along with three interviews (pre and post-intervention, and follow-up). The statistical analysis employed a MANCOVA test, and interview data was analysed by thematic analysis. The findings from the research show that the PPHI is effective for enhancing older adults’ psychological well-being. Moreover, the results of the PPHI are superior to relaxation, as well as present significant effects compared to the control group. The positive results presented in this study determine that the PPHI can be another option for an early or preventative intervention for older adults, particularly for enhancing happiness, well-being, and mental health.

Date of Award	1 Sept 2017
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bath
Supervisor	Omar Yousaf (Supervisor), David Wainwright (Supervisor) & David Kato (Supervisor)