Interventions in Positive Psychology to reduce depression and promote well-being in the elderly
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Keywords

positive psychology
depression
well-being
older-adults
older people psicología positiva
depresión
bienestar
personas adultas-mayores
personas mayores

How to Cite

López-Linares, S., García-León, A., & Sánchez-Álvarez, N. (2023). Interventions in Positive Psychology to reduce depression and promote well-being in the elderly: A systematic review of the last decade (2012-2022). Terapia Psicológica, 41(1), 111-136. Retrieved from http://www.teps.cl/index.php/teps/article/view/570

Abstract

Recently, different studies have shown the efficacy of interventions in Positive Psychology to improve both depressive symptoms and well-being in adults. However, there are only a few studies that review the efficacy of these interventions in people aged 60 years and older. Objective: synthesize the evidence from the last decade about these interventions in these people. Method: A systematic review was conducted. Publications between 2012 and 2022 –from SCOPUS, WOS/Medline and PROQUEST/PsycInfo- were included. After analyzing 944 empirical works, 18 studies have met the inclusion criteria. Results: the results show the efficacy of interventions in Positive Psychology, both to reduce depressive symptoms, and to increase subjective and psychological well-being in people of these ages, compared to other control groups. These effects are found with interventions on well-being, with interventions on personal strengths –gratitude or forgiveness in combination with sense of humor, empathy, meaning of life or emotional regulation- or through training on mindfulness. Conclusions: The preliminary results point out the importance of interventions in Positive Psychology as complementary therapies to improve the metal health and quality of life in people over 60 years.

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