The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Rumination and Existential Anxiety in the Elderly Men

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Dept. of Psychology, Dezful Branch, Islamic Azad University, Dezful, Iran

Abstract

Aging, as one of the most critical stages of human development, has its own characteristics and conditions. In the meantime, rumination and existential anxiety are among the most common mental health issues in the elderly that proper intervention can be conducted to improve them. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to examine the effectiveness of compassion-based therapy on rumination and existential anxiety in the elderly. It was a quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest and control group design. The statistical population of the study included all the elderly men living in Ahvaz in 2020. The sample consisted of 30 elderly men (60 to 70 years old) selected using available sampling method and according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The experimental group received eight 90-minute weekly sessions. The questionnaires applied in the current study included Nolen-Hoeksema and Morrow’s rumination and Weems et al.’s existential anxiety. Data were analyzed using univariate analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) in SPSS-22 software. The results revealed that there was a significant difference between experimental and control group in terms of rumination and existential anxiety in posttest (P<0.001). Put in other words, the results of the present study showed that compassion-based therapy is effective in reducing existential anxiety and improving rumination of the elderly. The results of the current study seem to open up new horizons in psychological interventions, and compassion-based therapy can be applied as an effective therapeutic method for improving mental health of the elderly.
References
Ansari, M., Dolatshahi, B., & Sahaf, R. (2019). Comparison of negative emotional components in elderly people with normal and poor sleep quality. Elderly: Iranian Journal of Aging, 14 (2), 200-211. [Persian]
Alizadeh, Sh. (2020). The effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on rumination and cognitive distortions of couples involved in marital breach (Unpublished Master Thesis), Islamic Azad University, Dezful Branch. [Persian]
Bagherinejad, M., Salehi Fedredi, J., & Tabatabai, S. (2010). The relationship between rumination and depression in a sample of Iranian students. Educational and Psychological Studies of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, 11 (1), 38-21. [Persian]
Baharvandi, B., Kazemianmoghadam, K., & Haroon Rashidi, H. (2020). Effectiveness of compassion-focused therapy on ambiguity tolerance and death anxiety in the elderly. Aging Psychology, 6(1), 13-26. [Persian]
Etemad, J., Dehghan Manshadi, Z., & Mozaffari, N. (2016). Psychometric properties of existential anxiety scale in the elderly. Gerontology, 1 (3), 48-39. [Persian]
Gasiorowska, A., Zaleskiewicz, T., & Kesebir, P. (2018). Money as an existential anxiety buffer: Exposure to money prevents mortality reminders from leading to increased death thought. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 79, 394 -409.
Gilbert, P. (2009). Introducing compassion-focused therapy. Advances in psychiatric treatment, 15(3), 199-208.‏
Gilbert, P. (2014). The origins and nature of compassion focused therapy. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 53, 6-41.
Gote, M. A., Watkins, E. R., Simmons, J. G., Byrne, M. L., Schwartz, O. S., & Whittle, S. (2013). Maternal parenting behaviors adolescent depression: The Mediating role of rumination. Journal Clinical Child Adolescence Psychology, 42(3), 348-57.
Joormann, J. (2006). Differential effects of rumination and dysphoria on the inhibition of irrelevant emotional material: Evidence from a negative priming task. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 30(2), 149-60.
Luminet, O. (2004). Measurment of depressive rumination and associated constructs. In C. Papageorgiou & A. Wells (Eds.), Depressive Rumination: Nature, Theory and Treatment (pp. 187-215). New York: Wiley.
McLaughlin, K. A., & Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2011). Rumination as a transdiagnostic factor in depression and anxiety. Behavior Research and Therapy, 49, 186-193.
Moradi, P., Davoodi Boroujerdi, G., Jafari, M., & Ahmadi, M. (2020). Evaluation of sleep quality and its effective factors in the elderly with coronary heart disease. Research in Medicine, 44 (4), 594-599. [Persian]
Neff, K. D. (2016). The self-compassion scale is a valid and theoretically coherent measure of self-compassion. Mindfulness, 7(1), 264-274.
Neff, K. D., & Mcgehee, P. (2010). Self-compassion and psychological resilience among adolescents and young adults. Self and Identity, 9)3), 225-240.
Naji Ranjbaranpour, S., & Nasrallah, B. (2018). Social adjustment and problem solving in the elderly: The role of cognitive emotion regulation. Aging Psychology, 5 (2), 155-143. [Persian]
Nusrat Talab Haqi, A., Kuchak Entezar, R., & Ghodsi, P. (2020, September). Perceived stress and rumination in the elderly living in nursing homes and the elderly living with families. the First Scientific Research Conference on Psychology, Counseling, Educational Sciences and Social Sciences. [Persian]
Nolen- Hoeksema, S. (1991). Responses to depression and their effects on the duration of depressive episodes. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100, 569-574.
Orue, I., Calvete, E., & Padilla, P. (2014). Brooding rumination as a mediator in the relation between early maladaptive schemas and symptoms of depression and social anxiety in adolescents. Journal of Adolescence, 37, 1281-1291.
Sedighi Arfai, F., Rashidi, A., & Tabesh, R. (2021). Anxiety tolerance in the elderly: The role of empirical avoidance, rumination and mindfulness. Aging Psychology, 7 (1), 1-12. [Persian]
Seyed Jafari, J., Jedi, M., Mousavi, R., Hosseini, A., & Shakib Mehr, M. (2018). The effectiveness of compassion-focused therapy on the life expectancy of the elderly. Aging Psychology, 5 (2), 157-168. [Persian]
Siedlecki, K. L., Salthouse, T. A., Oishi, S., & Jeswanin, S. (2014). The relationship between social support and subjective well-being across age. Social Indicators Research, 117(2), 561-576.
Shesh Blocki, F., & Haroon Rashidi, H. (2021). The effectiveness of compassion-based therapy on emotional failure and metacognitive beliefs of the elderly. Aging Psychology, 7 (3), 199-210. [Persian]
Talebi, M. A., Sabzevari, P., Nobakhti Qalani, L., & Zarei Mahmoudabadi, H. (2015, September). Comparison of existential anxiety and life expectancy in the elderly with normal care in Isfahan. International Conference on Psychology and Culture of Life. [Persian]
Temple, M., & Gall, T. L. (2016). Working through existential anxiety toward authenticity: A spiritual journey of meaning making. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 58(2), 168-193.
Tohidifar, M., Kazemian Moghadam, K., & Haroon Rashidi, H. (1400). The effectiveness of compassion-based therapy on loneliness and cognitive flexibility in older men. Psychological Studies, 17 (2), 1-10. [Persian]
Weems, C. F., Costa, N. M., Dehon, C. H., & Berman, S. L. (2004). Paul Tillich's theory of existential anxiety: A preliminary conceptual and empirical examination. Anxiety, Stress & Coping: An International Journal, 4, 383-399.

Keywords


References
Ansari, M., Dolatshahi, B., & Sahaf, R. (2019). Comparison of negative emotional components in elderly people with normal and poor sleep quality. Elderly: Iranian Journal of Aging, 14 (2), 200-211. [Persian]
Alizadeh, Sh. (2020). The effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on rumination and cognitive distortions of couples involved in marital breach (Unpublished Master Thesis), Islamic Azad University, Dezful Branch. [Persian]
Bagherinejad, M., Salehi Fedredi, J., & Tabatabai, S. (2010). The relationship between rumination and depression in a sample of Iranian students. Educational and Psychological Studies of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, 11 (1), 38-21. [Persian]
Baharvandi, B., Kazemianmoghadam, K., & Haroon Rashidi, H. (2020). Effectiveness of compassion-focused therapy on ambiguity tolerance and death anxiety in the elderly. Aging Psychology, 6(1), 13-26. [Persian]
Etemad, J., Dehghan Manshadi, Z., & Mozaffari, N. (2016). Psychometric properties of existential anxiety scale in the elderly. Gerontology, 1 (3), 48-39. [Persian]
Gasiorowska, A., Zaleskiewicz, T., & Kesebir, P. (2018). Money as an existential anxiety buffer: Exposure to money prevents mortality reminders from leading to increased death thought. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 79, 394 -409.
Gilbert, P. (2009). Introducing compassion-focused therapy. Advances in psychiatric treatment, 15(3), 199-208.‏
Gilbert, P. (2014). The origins and nature of compassion focused therapy. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 53, 6-41.
Gote, M. A., Watkins, E. R., Simmons, J. G., Byrne, M. L., Schwartz, O. S., & Whittle, S. (2013). Maternal parenting behaviors adolescent depression: The Mediating role of rumination. Journal Clinical Child Adolescence Psychology, 42(3), 348-57.
Joormann, J. (2006). Differential effects of rumination and dysphoria on the inhibition of irrelevant emotional material: Evidence from a negative priming task. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 30(2), 149-60.
Luminet, O. (2004). Measurment of depressive rumination and associated constructs. In C. Papageorgiou & A. Wells (Eds.), Depressive Rumination: Nature, Theory and Treatment (pp. 187-215). New York: Wiley.
McLaughlin, K. A., & Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2011). Rumination as a transdiagnostic factor in depression and anxiety. Behavior Research and Therapy, 49, 186-193.
Moradi, P., Davoodi Boroujerdi, G., Jafari, M., & Ahmadi, M. (2020). Evaluation of sleep quality and its effective factors in the elderly with coronary heart disease. Research in Medicine, 44 (4), 594-599. [Persian]
Neff, K. D. (2016). The self-compassion scale is a valid and theoretically coherent measure of self-compassion. Mindfulness, 7(1), 264-274.
Neff, K. D., & Mcgehee, P. (2010). Self-compassion and psychological resilience among adolescents and young adults. Self and Identity, 9)3), 225-240.
Naji Ranjbaranpour, S., & Nasrallah, B. (2018). Social adjustment and problem solving in the elderly: The role of cognitive emotion regulation. Aging Psychology, 5 (2), 155-143. [Persian]
Nusrat Talab Haqi, A., Kuchak Entezar, R., & Ghodsi, P. (2020, September). Perceived stress and rumination in the elderly living in nursing homes and the elderly living with families. the First Scientific Research Conference on Psychology, Counseling, Educational Sciences and Social Sciences. [Persian]
Nolen- Hoeksema, S. (1991). Responses to depression and their effects on the duration of depressive episodes. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100, 569-574.
Orue, I., Calvete, E., & Padilla, P. (2014). Brooding rumination as a mediator in the relation between early maladaptive schemas and symptoms of depression and social anxiety in adolescents. Journal of Adolescence, 37, 1281-1291.
Sedighi Arfai, F., Rashidi, A., & Tabesh, R. (2021). Anxiety tolerance in the elderly: The role of empirical avoidance, rumination and mindfulness. Aging Psychology, 7 (1), 1-12. [Persian]
Seyed Jafari, J., Jedi, M., Mousavi, R., Hosseini, A., & Shakib Mehr, M. (2018). The effectiveness of compassion-focused therapy on the life expectancy of the elderly. Aging Psychology, 5 (2), 157-168. [Persian]
Siedlecki, K. L., Salthouse, T. A., Oishi, S., & Jeswanin, S. (2014). The relationship between social support and subjective well-being across age. Social Indicators Research, 117(2), 561-576.
Shesh Blocki, F., & Haroon Rashidi, H. (2021). The effectiveness of compassion-based therapy on emotional failure and metacognitive beliefs of the elderly. Aging Psychology, 7 (3), 199-210. [Persian]
Talebi, M. A., Sabzevari, P., Nobakhti Qalani, L., & Zarei Mahmoudabadi, H. (2015, September). Comparison of existential anxiety and life expectancy in the elderly with normal care in Isfahan. International Conference on Psychology and Culture of Life. [Persian]
Temple, M., & Gall, T. L. (2016). Working through existential anxiety toward authenticity: A spiritual journey of meaning making. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 58(2), 168-193.
Tohidifar, M., Kazemian Moghadam, K., & Haroon Rashidi, H. (1400). The effectiveness of compassion-based therapy on loneliness and cognitive flexibility in older men. Psychological Studies, 17 (2), 1-10. [Persian]
Weems, C. F., Costa, N. M., Dehon, C. H., & Berman, S. L. (2004). Paul Tillich's theory of existential anxiety: A preliminary conceptual and empirical examination. Anxiety, Stress & Coping: An International Journal, 4, 383-399.