Fundamentals of Mental Health

Fundamentals of Mental Health

Comparing the effects of group compassion therapy and group narrative therapy on the enthusiasm for life of the elderly

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Abbas Keshavarz 1
Hamid Nejat 2
Ali Akbar Samari 3
1 Department of Health Psychology, UAE.C., Islamic Azad University, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
2 Department of Family and Counseling, Ma.C., Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran.
3 Department of Clinical Psychology, Kash.C., Islamic Azad University, Kashmar, Iran.
10.22038/JFMH.2025.85296.3207
Abstract
Introduction: The present study aimed to compare the effects of group compassion-focused therapy and group narrative therapy on the enthusiasm for life in the elderly.
 
Materials and Methods: The statistical population included all retired teachers of Mashhad, Iran, in 2023. Forty-five individuals with low scores on the Enthusiasm for Life Scale were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to equal three groups: control, compassion therapy, and narrative therapy. Therapeutic sessions were conducted for the two experimental groups, each receiving 8 sessions of intervention. Data were analyzed using two-way repeated measures ANOVA.
 
Results: After controlling for pre-test effects, the results revealed a significant difference between the pre-test and the other stages in the experimental groups. Moreover, the Eta squared value for simultaneous changes in the dependent variable was higher for the compassion-focused therapy group (0.915) than for the narrative therapy group (0.799).
 
Conclusion: The results showed that compassion-focused therapy was more effective than group narrative therapy to enhance enthusiasm for life in elderly individuals. Both approaches can be recommended as effective methods for enhancing enthusiasm for life among the elderly.
Keywords
Compassion therapy
Enthusiasm
Narrative therapy
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Fundamentals of Mental Health
Volume 27, Issue 5
September and October 2025
Pages 295-303