Positive interventions in older adults: age-activity fit
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Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine what types of positive activities are the most appropriate for a population of older people considering the specific ways of pursuing happiness at this stage of life. So, one intervention was performed based on gratitude and another based on optimism to try to determine if they have a differential effect on welfare measures and measures of the emotional state. The results obtained in this work indicated that an intervention in gratitude produces an improvement in anxiety and depression level’s, as well as an increase in the dimension of self-acceptance of psychological well-being. These effects were not obtained when the intervention was based on a training in optimism. In quality of life, no differences were found between the two types of intervention, although an increase in the values of this variable appears after finishing both interventions. The main value of this work is that it is a pioneering study in an area that begins to be perceived as very relevant. This area is focused on the knowledge about what type of positive activities are best adjusted for each type of population and which is the more suitable for achieving well-being and happiness.
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