The effect of positive thinking training on happiness and resilience of nurses in intensive care units: a randomized clinical trial

Background: Nursing in intensive care units is associated with various stressors that can affect the psychological state. In this study, the effect of positive thinking training on the happiness and resiliency of nurses in intensive care units was investigated. Materials and methods: A total of 60 nurses from Shohadaye Tajrish and Shahid Taleghani hospitals of Tehran City were randomly divided into two groups. The intervention group received teaching positive thinking skills for 8 sessions (each session was 1.5 hours). Data were collected using a three-part questionnaire on demographic data, Oxford Happiness Index (OHI), and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 software. Results: Demographic variables had no significant differences between two groups. There was no significant difference in the mean of happiness and resiliency in the pre-test stage between two groups. The results of covariance analysis indicated the effectiveness of intervention in increasing happiness and resiliency, so that 55% of changes in variance of happiness and 43% of changes in variance of resiliency were due to independent variable. Conclusion: Training of positive thinking skills improved nurses' happiness and resilience. These interventions are an uncomplicated and effective method that can be used extensively in nurses to improve psychological components.